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Ruth A Lawrence

Publications and source records attributed to Ruth A Lawrence.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Human milk research for answering questions about human health.

Concerns regarding human milk in our society are diverse, ranging from the presence of environmental chemicals to the health of breastfed infants and the economic value of breastfeeding to society. The panel convened for the Technical Workshop on Human Milk Surveillance and Biomonitoring for Environmental Chemicals in the United States, held at the Hershey Medical Center, Pennsylvania State College of Medicine, on 24--26 September 2004, considered how human milk research may contribute to environmental health initiatives to benefit society. The panel concluded that infant, maternal, and community health can benefit from studies using human milk biomonitoring. Unlike other biological specimens, human milk provides information regarding exposure of the mother and breastfed infant to environmental chemicals. Some of the health topics relevant to this field of research include disorders of growth and development in infants, cancer origins in women, and characterization of the trend of exposure to environmental chemicals in the community. The research focus will determine the design of the study and the need for the collection of alternative biological specimens and the long-term storage of these specimens. In order to strengthen the ability to interpret study results, it is important to identify reference ranges for the chemicals measured and to control for populations with high environmental chemical exposure, because the amount of data on environmental chemical levels in human milk that is available for comparison is extremely limited. In addition, it will be necessary to validate models used to assess infant exposure from breastfeeding because of the variable nature of current models. Information on differences between individual and population risk estimates for toxicity needs to be effectively communicated to the participant. Human milk research designed to answer questions regarding health will require additional resources to meet these objectives.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

A systematic review of the literature associating breastfeeding with type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes.

As diabetes becomes more prevalent in younger women, diabetes and maternal-child health issues such as breastfeeding co-exist with increasing frequency. We sought to determine the relationship between breastfeeding and both type 2 diabetes and gestational diabetes (GDM) in a variety of clinical contexts, with a focus on prevention. The Medline database from 1966-2003, relevant references of selected articles, the Cochrane database, and the NIH Clinical Trials website were searched. Search terms included breastfeeding, infant nutrition, and diabetes. The search was restricted to the English language and human subjects. Each study was reviewed by at least two of the authors and included if it pertained to the relationship between type 2 diabetes or GDM and breastfeeding. Twelve of 15 identified studies (80%) met selection criteria. All studies were observational. Specific maternal-child health populations varied by study. Two of the authors abstracted information from each article on 1) study design, 2) target population, 3) sample size/power, 4) definition of breastfeeding, 5) definition of diabetes, and 6) confounders. Higher rates of pregnancy and neonatal complications among women with type 2 or gestational diabetes can pose significant challenges to breastfeeding. Low estrogen levels in breastfeeding women may have a protective effect on glucose metabolism and subsequent risk of diabetes. Having been breastfed for at least 2 months may lower the risk of diabetes in children. Initial research has begun on the long-term effects of diabetes during pregnancy on children. Breastfeeding may lower both maternal and pediatric rates of diabetes. Women with diabetes should be strongly encouraged to breastfeed because of maternal and childhood benefits specific to diabetes that are above and beyond other known benefits of breastfeeding.

Breast Feeding↗
PubMed2005

Comparison of the cariogenicity of cola, honey, cow milk, human milk, and sucrose.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine and compare the cariogenicity of various fluids that are frequently fed to infants and toddlers. We chose to examine sucrose, cola drink, honey, human milk, cow milk, and water because some of these have been associated with development of early childhood caries, although direct experimental evidence is lacking. METHODS: We used our desalivated rat model because the approach mimics the situation found in infants, whereby the flow of saliva is interrupted through mechanical effects of a nipple. The animals received basic nutrition by gavage, and the fluids being tested were available ad libitum. Thus, the only substances that came in contact with teeth were the test fluids. The investigation continued for 14 days. RESULTS: Cola, sucrose, and honey were by far the most cariogenic. In addition, cola and honey induced considerable erosion. Human milk was significantly more cariogenic than cow milk probably because of its lower mineral content and higher level of lactose. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that the use of honey, cola, and sucrose water in nursing bottles should be discouraged. Although human milk is more cariogenic than cow milk, it is no more cariogenic than are common infant formulas. Protracted exposure to human milk or formula through allowing an infant to sleep on the nipple should be discouraged, and the need for oral hygiene after tooth eruption should be emphasized.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Breastfeeding and the use of human milk.

Considerable advances have occurred in recent years in the scientific knowledge of the benefits of breastfeeding, the mechanisms underlying these benefits, and in the clinical management of breastfeeding. This policy statement on breastfeeding replaces the 1997 policy statement of the American Academy of Pediatrics and reflects this newer knowledge and the supporting publications. The benefits of breastfeeding for the infant, the mother, and the community are summarized, and recommendations to guide the pediatrician and other health care professionals in assisting mothers in the initiation and maintenance of breastfeeding for healthy term infants and high-risk infants are presented. The policy statement delineates various ways in which pediatricians can promote, protect, and support breastfeeding not only in their individual practices but also in the hospital, medical school, community, and nation.

Breast Feeding↗
PubMed2004

Breast milk and infection.

Three viruses (CMV, HIV, and HTLV-I) frequently cause infection or disease as a result of breast-milk transmission. Reasonable guidelines have been pro-posed for when and how to avoid breast milk in the case of maternal infection. For other viruses, prophylactic immune therapy to protect the infant against all modes of transmission are indicated (VZV, varicella-zoster immunoglobulin, HAV and immunoglobulin, HBV, and HBIg + HBV vaccine). In most maternal viral infections, breast milk is not an important mode of transmission, and continuation of breastfeeding is in the best interest of the infant and mother (see Tables 2 and 3). Maternal bacterial infections rarely are complicated by transmission of infection to their infants through breast milk. In a few situations, temporary cessation of breastfeeding or the avoidance of breast milk is appropriate for a limited time (24 hours for N gonorrheae, H infiuenzae, Group B streptococci, and staphylococci and longer for others including B burgdorferi, T pallidum, and M tuberculosis). In certain situations, prophylactic or empiric therapy may be advised for the infant (eg, T pallidum, M tuberculosis, H influenzae) (see Table 1). Antimicrobial use by the mother should not be a reason not to breastfeed. Alternative regimens that are compatible with breastfeeding can be chosen to treat the mother effectively. In most cases of suspected infection in the breastfeeding mother, the delay in seeking medical care and making the diagnosis means the infant has been ex-posed already. Stopping breastfeeding at this time only deprives the infant of the nutritional and potential immunologic benefits. Breastfeeding or the use of expressed breast milk, even if temporarily suspended, should be encouraged and supported. Decisions about breast milk and infection should balance the potential risk compared with the innumerable benefits of breast milk.

Breast Feeding↗
PubMed2003

Comparison of breast- and formula-fed normal newborns in time to first stool and urine.

BACKGROUND: Although the time to an infant's first stool is used as a marker for a normal GI tract, there have been no studies to date which have evaluated the contribution of the first 24 hours' feeding type to time to first meconium stool, directly comparing breast feeding vs formula feeding. OBJECTIVE: To compare breast- and formula-fed healthy infants > or =34 weeks gestation in time to first stool and urine. STUDY DESIGN: A chart review of 1000 consecutive infants > or =34 weeks of gestational age admitted to the normal newborn nursery of Children's Hospital of Buffalo from June to October 2000. Infants (n=979) were grouped based on feeding type in the first 24 hours: breast-fed (n=211), formula-fed (n=540), and mixed feeding (n=228); n=21 excluded for Neonatal Intensive Care Unit admission. We initially compared the time to first stool and urine between the breast- and formula-fed groups and then examined multiple maternal and infant demographic and clinical factors for their effect on time to first stool using univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Breast-fed infants were fed earlier and more frequently than formula-fed but there was no significant difference in time to first stool (7.6 vs 7.9 hours). Breast-fed infants were earlier in time to first urine (p=0.03) (7.3 vs 8.5 hours). In multiple regression analysis, gestational age was the only significant (p=0.000) factor in predicting time to first stool. CONCLUSION: Type of feeding did not predict time to first stool but gestational age was important even in this near-term and term population of infants > or =34 weeks gestation.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Randomized clinical trial of pacifier use and bottle-feeding or cupfeeding and their effect on breastfeeding.

OBJECTIVE: To enhance breastfeeding practices, the World Health Organization discourages pacifiers and bottle-feeding. However, the effect of artificial nipples on breastfeeding duration is poorly defined. The effects of 2 types of artificial nipple exposure on breastfeeding duration were evaluated: 1) cupfeeding versus bottle-feeding for the provision of in-hospital supplements and 2) early (2-5 days) versus late (>4 weeks) pacifier introduction. METHODS: A total of 700 breastfed newborns (36-42 weeks, birth weight >or=2200 g) were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 intervention groups: bottle/early pacifier (n = 169), bottle/late pacifier (n = 167), cup/early pacifier (n = 185), or cup/late pacifier (n = 179). The cup/bottle intervention was invoked for infants who received supplemental feedings: cup (n = 251), bottle (n = 230). Data were collected at delivery and at 2, 5, 10, 16, 24, 38, and 52 weeks' postpartum. Intervention effects on breastfeeding duration were evaluated with logistic regression and survival analyses. RESULTS: Supplemental feedings, regardless of method (cup or bottle), had a detrimental effect on breastfeeding duration. There were no differences in cup versus bottle groups for breastfeeding duration. Effects were modified by the number of supplements; exclusive and full breastfeeding duration were prolonged in cup-fed infants given >2 supplements. Among infants delivered by cesarean, cupfeeding significantly prolonged exclusive, full, and overall breastfeeding duration. Exclusive breastfeeding at 4 weeks was less likely among infants exposed to pacifiers (early pacifier group; odds ratio: 1.5; 95% confidence interval: 1.0-2.0). Early, as compared with late, pacifier use shortened overall duration (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.22; 95% confidence interval: 1.03-1.44) but did not affect exclusive or full duration. CONCLUSIONS: There was no advantage to cupfeeding for providing supplements to the general population of healthy breastfed infants, but it may have benefitted mother-infant dyads who required multiple supplements or were delivered by cesarean. Pacifier use in the neonatal period was detrimental to exclusive and overall breastfeeding. These findings support recommendations to avoid exposing breastfed infants to artificial nipples in the neonatal period.

Adult↗