Alphabetical list:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W X Y Q Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
News: November 15, 2009
Breastfeeding Benefits Updated by the American Dietetic Association
November 15, 2009The health benefits of breastfeeding for both infants and their mothers have been updated and explained in a newly released position paper by the American Dietetic Association (ADA). The ADA strongly encourages breastfeeding whenever possible, noting that it is the "optimal feeding method for the infant."
When one looks at the statistics on breastfeeding in the United States, the figures are disappointing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics for 2008 show that while 62 percent of new mothers say they have ever breastfed their infant, that figure drops to 39.1 percent who continue breastfeeding two months or longer, and declines to 19.1 percent who are still breastfeeding at one year.
These figures include mothers who also supplement with infant formula. If we consider only mothers who are breastfeeding their infants exclusively (no formula), the figures are only 12.9 percent who do so for at least three months and 7.2 percent who continue to do so for at least six months.
The American Dietetic Association recommends that mothers practice exclusive breastfeeding with no foods or liquids other than breast milk for the first six months of life. The ADA position paper states that "exclusive breastfeeding provides optimal nutrition and health protection for the first 6 months of life and breastfeeding with complementary foods from 6 months until at least 12 months of age is the ideal feeding pattern for infants."
Beyond health benefits for both infants and their mothers, breastfeeding also helps control health care costs, which is related to the improvement in health. Human milk provides the best nutrient composition that infants require and thus reduces their risk for a large number of acute and chronic illnesses. For example, states the ADA paper, breastfeeding for infants enhances the immune system, reduces the risk for severe lower respiratory tract infections, asthma, and nonspecific gastroenteritis, and also protects against the development of allergies and intolerances. Breastfed infants have a lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, childhood leukemia, diabetes, and obesity, and less risk of experiencing sudden infant death syndrome.
Benefits for mothers who practice breastfeeding include establishment of a strong bond with their infant, increased calorie burning, which can help with weight loss; a lower risk for type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer; decreased risk for postpartum depression; and less postpartum bleeding and delays in the menstrual cycle. New mothers also can save money by not needing to purchase formula or pay for expenses associated with formula feeding.
More information about breastfeeding from the American Dietetic Association can be found on their website. Other sources of help with breastfeeding can be found at the American Academy of Pediatrics website, the US Department of Health and Human Services Womenshealth.gov website, and the La Leche League.
SOURCES:
American Dietetic Association
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Archive issues: (47)
Archive list: [1] 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
December 20, 2009 | Wii, Xbox 360 and Other Video Games Offer Some BenefitsWii, Xbox 360, PlayStation, and other video games are hot on holiday gift lists, but some parents wonder whether these games offer any benefits or are detrimental to kids. The results of a new study may put some minds at ease, while others may not. According to the findings reported in the latest issue of Current Directions in Psychological Science, regular gamers transfer their skills as fast, accurate information processors to real-life situations. The ...
December 18, 2009 | Should You Be Shoveling Snow?Yes, the weather outside is frightful, and soon you will have to think about shoveling snow. But should you be the one doing the work? Who should and should not shovel snow, and how can you do it safely? Every winter, approximately 1,200 Americans die from a heart attack or another type of ...
December 17, 2009 | Athletes who take NSAID's to prevent pain may be doing more harm than goodAccording to Stuart Warden, a researcher who studies musculoskeletal health and sports medicine, athletes who ritualistically take NSAID's to prevent post event and workout soreness and inflammation may be depriving the body of healing, in addition to risking other long term health problems. Taking anti inflammatory medications before running or other athletic events, is not recommended.. Warden suggests athletes weigh the risks of taking non steroidal anti inflammatory ...
Related articles:
Independence and invulnerability
Men are significantly less likely to visit their physicians to receive preventive health care examinations. Men make 134.5 million less physician visits than American women each year - making only 40.8% of all physician visits. A quarter of the men who are 45 to 60 do not have a personal physician. Men fail to make advised annual heart checkups. Men between 25 and 65 are four times more likely to die from cardiovascular disease than women. Men are more likely to be diagnosed in a later ...Section: Mens health risks
Chronic prostatitis/chronic pelvic pain syndrome - prevalence
The annual prevalence in the general population of chronic pelvic pain syndrome is 0.5%. 38% of primary care providers, when presented with a vignette of a man with CPPS, indicate that they have never seen such a patient. However, the overall prevalence of symptoms suggestive of CP/CPPS is 6.3%. The role of the prostate was questoned in the etiology of CP/CPPS when both men and women in the general population were tested using the (1) National Institutes of Health ...Section: Prostatitis
About ED
Erectile dysfunction (ED, "male impotence") is a sexual dysfunction characterized by the inability to develop or maintain an erection of the penis sufficient for satisfactory sexual performance. An erection occurs as a hydraulic effect due to blood entering and being retained in sponge-like bodies within the penis. The process is most often initiated as a result of sexual arousal, when signals are transmitted from the brain to nerves in the pelvis. Erectile dysfunction is indicated when an erection is consistently difficult or impossible to produce, despite ...Section: Erectile Dysfunction