Science & Sensibility

Lamaze International launched Science & Sensibility to bring updates and analysis on new research to childbirth educators and other birth professionals as early as possible. We know you are on the front lines, answering questions about newsworthy research and bringing the latest evidence-based information to expectant women every week. The decision to launch Science & Sensibility meant that we would retire Lamaze’s quarterly e-newsletter, Research Summaries for Normal Birth. We know how much many of you appreciated Research Summaries, so over the next couple of months, we will be moving its archives to Science & Sensibility. We’re excited to have all of Lamaze’s research resources in one place. If you miss getting Research Summaries in your inbox, you can sign up to receive Science & Sensibility posts by email. Just click on “Subscribe to Science & Sensibility” on the right hand side of this page.

To kick off our From the Research Summaries Archive Series, and in honor of World Breastfeeding Week, I bring you all of our research summaries from 2004-2008 about breastfeeding. Don’t forget that you can find all breastfeeding-related Science & Sensibility posts (including this archive) by clicking on “breastfeeding” in the tag cloud. Please also check out these other great breastfeeding resources from Lamaze International.

The articles summarized in this archive are listed here. Please click on the extended post to read the summaries.

1. Study Challenges Conventional Breastfeeding Advice, Suggests Mothers Should Be Semi-Reclined to Nurse More Effectively
   Colson, S. D., Meek, J. H., & Hawdon, J. M. (2008). Optimal positions for the release of primitive neonatal reflexes stimulating breastfeeding. Early Human Development, doi: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2007.12.003.
2. Epidural Use in Labor Appears to Disturb Newborns’ Physiologic Response to Skin-to-skin Contact
   Jonas, W., Wiklund, I., Nissen, E., Ransjo-Arvidson, A. B., & Uvnas-Moberg, K. (2007). Newborn skin temperature two days postpartum during breastfeeding related to different labour ward practices. Early Human Development, 83(1), 55-62.
3. Updated Cochrane Systematic Review Finds Stronger Evidence of Benefit for Early Skin-to-skin Contact
   Moore, E., Anderson, G., &; Bergman, N. (2007). Early skin-to-skin contact for mothers and their healthy newborn infants. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (3)(3), CD003519.
4. Group Prenatal Care Reduces Preterm Birth by One-Third, Improves Breastfeeding Success
   Ickovics, J. R., Kershaw, T. S., Westdahl, C., Magriples, U., Massey, Z., Reynolds, H., et al. (2007). Group prenatal care and perinatal outcomes: A randomized controlled trial. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 110(2), 330-339.
5. Home Birth and Breastfeeding May Set the Stage for Healthy Immune Systems in Infants
   Penders, J., Thijs, C., Vink, C., Stelma, F. F., Snijders, B., Kummeling, I., et al. (2006). Factors influencing the composition of the intestinal microbiota in early infancy. Pediatrics, 118(2), 511 – 521.
6. Cochrane Systematic Review Confirms Effectiveness of Breastfeeding for Reducing Procedural Pain in Newborns
   Shah, P. S., Aliwalas, L. L., & Shah, V. (2006). Breastfeeding or breastmilk for procedural pain in neonates. The Cochrane Library, Issue 3.
7. New Pediatric Growth Charts Reflect Breastfeeding as the Norm
   WHO Multicentre Growth Reference Study Group (2006). “WHO Child Growth Standards.” Acta Paediatrica, Supplement 450.
8. Longer Duration of Breastfeeding is Associated with Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
   Stuebe, A. M., Rich-Edwards, J. W., Willett, W. C., Manson, J. E., Michels, K. B. (2005). Duration of lactation and incidence of type-2 diabetes. JAMA, 294(20), 2601-10.
9. Exposure to Smell of Mother’s Milk Reduces Distress During Painful Newborn Procedures
   Rattaz, C., Goubet, N., & Bullinger, A. (2005). The calming effect of a familiar odor on full-term newborns. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 26(2), 86-92.
10. Evidence-Based AAP Policy Emphasizes Link Between Normal Birth and Successful Breastfeeding
    American Academy of Pediatrics. (2005). Breastfeeding and the use of human milk. Pediatrics, 115 (2), 496-506.
11. Beneficial Effects of Kangaroo Care Are Not Limited to Preterm Newborns
    Ferber, S. G. and Makhoul, I.R. (2004). “The effect of skin-to-skin contact (kangaroo care) shortly after birth on the neurobehavioral responses of the term newborn: a randomized, controlled trial.” Pediatrics. 113 (4): 858-65.

Click on the extended post to read the summaries. Read more…

Amy Romano research for advocacy breastfeeding, epidurals, From the Research Summaries Archives, home birth, hospitals, interventions, newborns, no separation, pain, practice guidelines, pregnancy, skin-to-skin contact

With Memorial Day around the corner and the unofficial beginning of the summer road trip season upon us, here’s an important bit of news from the annual meeting of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine. Emergency medicine researchers from Wake Forest University analyzed a national database of over 2 million people injured in car accidents and identified over 2400 cases involving pregnant women. They found that women who were wearing a seat belt or driving in a car with an airbag were less likely to experience fetal complications than women with neither a seat belt or airbag. Women with both a seat belt and an airbag had the best outcomes. This research confirms findings from several smaller studies.

The March of Dimes provides a nice summary of car safety guidelines for pregnant women.

Amy Romano new research pregnancy, safety