It’s World Breatfeeding Week and what better way to celebrate than to talk about the impact breastfeeding has on a baby’s brain. It’s not a new concept that breastfeeding helps with brain development. Studies have shown before that cognitive function in adolescents and adults is better if they were breastfed, but now a new study […]
Mothering
Amniotic Fluid Heals Premature Babies
Premature babies often have trouble digesting food due to their ill-prepared gut. About 10% of preemie babies will develop necrotizing enterocolitis, an inflammation that can lead to death of the tissue in the intestine causing infection. While breastmilk can reduce the risk of the condition, many babies will require surgery to remove the dead tissue. […]
Language development begins in the womb
Evidence suggests that babies at 28 weeks gestation can distinguish certain syllables such as “ga” and “ba” and identify male and female voices. “Experts already know that babies are able to hear noises in the womb – the ear and the auditory part of the brain that allow this are formed by around 23 […]
Can iTunes Boost Your Milk Supply?
Are you having trouble with milk supply? Could stress be to blame? Studies suggest relaxed mothers makes more milk than their stressed out, anxious counterparts. A 1989 study by Stephen Feher, published in the Cochrane Review, followed over 70 mothers with infants in the NICU. All the mothers in the study pumped breast milk […]
IV Fluids Given At Birth Affects Newborn’s Weight; May Impact Breatfeeding
We’ve all heard stories, some of us have even lived them. Your newborn has lost more than 10% of their birth weight, causing concern in hospital staff. The concern is that your milk production is not adequate and you are told to supplement with formula. As you can imagine, this can be a huge blow […]
How Mother Nature Makes Your Baby A Brainiac
New research from Yale has identified that vaginal birth prompts the secretion of a special protein that promotes the development of the baby’s hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for learning, memory, and stress response. This protein is also a key component of breastmilk, possibly explaining the link between early nurturing from the mother […]