Breastfeeding

Advocates for breastfeeding say Alabama employers should do a better job of allowing breastfeeding at work. There are at least 29 states that have laws protecting breastfeeding and pumping at work, but Alabama is not one of them. The state has the third-lowest breastfeeding rate in the nation, according to the CDC. Mothers in Alabama tend to quit breastfeeding sooner than elsewhere in the United States. This is happening due to a lack of knowledge and support from their employers. Read the

A recent study commissioned by Byram Healthcare found that fewer than one in five working moms who breastfed know their rights in the workplace. The survey polled 1,000 working moms in the U.S. who have children ages two and under who are breastfeeding or who have recently breastfed. Fifty-two percent said they didn't know they are legally entitled to a room to pump a full year after giving birth and the room must have shades or no windows and a lock.  The survey also found that 95% of

There have been well-documented shortages of breast milk at donor banks across the country. The problem is more of an issue with parents of sick or premature infants since they may not be able to digest formula as well as human milk. There are many private Facebook groups dedicated to human breastmilk exchange. These private groups require approval by group administrators before joining have anywhere from 5,000 to 80,000 likes each or more. Most of these Facebook groups focus on the donation of

According to a group of scientists from the Institute of Microbiology and Infection at the University of Birmingham in the U.K., breastfeeding can boost an infant's immunity system for life. The group of researchers infected a group of mice with parasitic worms, then cleared the infection with drugs. They then bred the mice with other mice to determine if their offspring would be immune to the infection during breastfeeding. They found that they were immune from the parasitic worms throughout

In a new twist in the long-running debate on whether breastfeeding boosts childhood intelligence, scientists have found that breast milk increases the levels of certain chemicals in babies brains that are linked to neurodevelopment. Whether or not breastfeeding leads to improved intelligence, however, is a controversial question, and studies have found mixed results. This most recent study focused on premature babies with a gestational age of 23 to 32 weeks. Researchers were able to monitor