Learning the hard way: expectations and experiences of infant feeding support

Source: Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care, 2012, early view: DOI: 10.1111/j.1523-536X.2011.00509.x

Follow this link for abstract.

Date of publication: 9^th January, 2012.

Publication type: Research.

In a nutshell: Results of a large-scale national survey which aimed to gain a better understanding of what support is needed in the post-partum period to enable women to initiate and continue to breast feed their babies.

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Breastfeeding and infant temperament at age three months

Source: PloS, 2012, 7 (1), e29326.

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Date of publication: January 2012.

Publication type: Research

In a nutshell: This study suggests that breast-fed babies are more irritable. Over 300 mothers were asked to comment on the temperament of their own baby and to state whether they were using breast or bottle.  Breastfed babies were deemed to have “more challenging temperaments”. However, the authors suggest that whilst bottle-fed babies may appear more content they may be at of being over-nourished and greater weight gain.

Length of publication: 7 pages.

Gender differences in the effect of breastfeeding on adult psychological well-being

Source: European Journal of Public Health, 2011, doi:10.1093/eurpub/ckr135

Follow this link for abstract.

Date of publication: October 2011

Publication type: Research.

In a nutshell: This study uses data from the National Child Development Study (1958) and the British Cohort Study (1970) to explore the hypothesis that breastfed babies would have higher psychological well-being in adulthood in relation to the pathway of childhood psychological adjustment. After taking socio-demographic factors at birth into account, the study found that being breastfed contributed to psychological well-being in women, but not men.

Length of publication: 6 pages

Some important notes: Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Lone mothers need more support

Source: RCM Midwives

Midwives magazine (RCM), June/July 2010.

Journal for the Royal Society of Medicine, May 2010, Volume 103, Issue 5, pp. 188-98

Click here for the news story.

Click here for full text original  journal article.

Date of publication: May 2010

Publication type:  News story / Journal article

In a nutshell: A survey has found that single women may be more likely to have a negative experience of maternity services than women with a partner.  Single women were “more likely to experience complications and feed their baby formula milk rather than breastfeed”.

Length of publication: 1 page

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‘Getting to know your baby’: Development of a 6-week countdown calendar for participants in WIC Programme – a US experience

Source: Journal of nutritional education and behavior

Journal of nutritional education and behavior, May-June 2010, Volume 42, Issue 3, Supplement 1,  Pages S69-S71

Click here for abstract.

Date of publication: May-June 2010

Publication type:  Journal article

In a nutshell:

This article outlines the development of a “countdown calendar” in an attempt to engage with and support a group of mothers to help them understand, interact and respond appropriately to their babies having found that often poor parental choices are based on a lack of understanding of their babies needs. The 6 week “Countdown calendar” attempts to deal with the concerns of new parents by giving tips, facts, motivation and support to help them in the early stages of parenting.

Length of publication: 3 pages

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Bottle feeding simulates child loss: Postpartum depression and evolutionary medicine – a theory

Source: Medical Hypotheses – ScienceDirect

Medical Hypotheses, printed online 8 Aug 2009 – full citation tba – doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2009.07.016

Follow this link for abstract.

Date of publication: Aug 2009

Publication type: Journal article

In a nutshell: This article speculates that bottle feeding or procedures which prevent breastfeeding may unintentionally trigger a biological or psychological reaction in the mother that suggests the death of the baby, which could thus lead to depression.

 

Length of publication: 3 pages

Please contact your local NHS Library for the full text of the article. Follow this link to find your local NHS Library.

Supportive nurturing is good for our developing brains

Source: The Guardian

For fulltext link here

For Abstract link here

Year of publication: 2009

Publication type: Newspaper article

In a nutshell: The positive effect of a nurturing environment on the “brain chemistry” of babies and grown ups.

Length of publication: 1 page

Acknowledgement: Thanks to Magna Sachs, Infant Feeding Coordinator at Salford, for this post.