Medical News

Reasons to Breastfeed

• Breast milk cannot be duplicated by any artificial means.
• Breast milk changes over time, even throughout the course of the day, to meet the changing need of the growing child.
• Children who are breastfed score higher on IQ tests at school age and also on visual acuity tests.
• Children who are breastfed have a lower incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
• Children who are breastfed are significantly protected against asthma and eczema, and allergic disorders if exclusively breastfed for at least 4 months.
• Premature infants who receive breast milk have IQ's that are 8-15 points higher than those who receive formula.
• Women are less likely to develop ovarian and breast cancers. The more months a woman has breastfed, the greater the benefit.
• Mothers are more likely to return to their pre-pregnancy weight than mothers who formula feed. 
• 1.3 billion more is spent by insurance and Medicaid to cover sick-child visits and prescriptions to treat the three most common illnesses- respiratory infections, ear infections, and diarrhea- in the first year of life for formula-fed infants versus breastfed infants.

Compiled by Pediatric Healthcare

Effects of Smoking During Pregnancy

When a mother smokes during her pregnancy...so does her baby. When she smokes, she inhales poisons such as nicotine, cyanide, and carbon monoxide. These poisons get into the placenta, which is the tissue that connects her to her baby. The placenta sends the baby oxygen and eliminates wastes. These poisons keep the baby from getting the proper supply of nutrients and oxygen that he or she needs to grow. One of the things a mother can do to improve her health and her pregnancy is to quit smoking.

Smoking during pregnancy can cause...

-Miscarriage or stillbirth

-Vaginal bleeding

-Delivery before due date

-Low birth weight dangers

-Heart defects

-Lung problems in mom and baby

-Learning disabilities in baby

-Physical growth problems in baby

-Birth defects of the eyes, ears, and lips

-SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)

For help to quit smoking, call the Alabama Tobacco Quitline at 1-800-Quit-Now (1-800-784-8669)

Help Reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) by placing babies on their back to sleep. SIDS is the term used to describe the sudden, unexplained death of an infant younger than 1 year of age. 

Safe Sleep Top 10

1)Always place a baby on his or her back to sleep, for naps and at night.

2)Place the baby on a  firm sleep surface- never on pillows, quilts, couches, bean bags, etc.

3)Keep soft objects, toys, and loose bedding out of the baby's sleep area.

4)Do not allow smoking around any baby.  

5)Keep the baby's sleep area close to, but separate from, where others sleep. Your baby should not sleep in the same bed with an adult or other children. If the baby is brought into the bed to breastfeed, he or she should be placed back into a separate sleep area such as a crib, bassinet, or pack-n-play when finished.

6)Think about using a clean, dry pacifier when placing the infant down to sleep, but don't force the baby to take it. If the baby is being breastfed, wait until the child is 1 month old or is used to breastfeeding before using a pacifier.

7)Do not let the baby overheat during sleep. Dress the baby in light, sleep clothing, and keep the room at a temperature that is comfortable for an adult.

8)Avoid products that claim to reduce the risk of SIDS because most have not been tested for effectiveness of safety.

9)Do not use home monitors to reduce the risk of SIDS. If you have questions about using monitors for other conditions talk to your health care provider.

10)Reduce the chance that flat spots will develop on your baby's head: provide "tummy time" when your baby is awake and someone is watching; change the direction that your baby lies in the crib from one week to the next; and avoid too much time in car seats, carriers, and bouncers. 

The above information was taken from the brochure "Safe Sleep for Your Baby" printed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For more information on sleep position for babies and reducing the risk of SIDS, contact the Back to Sleep campaign at 1-800-505-CRIB (2742) or http://www.nichd.nih.gov/SIDS .

REST. RECOVER. PLAN.

The Alabama Department of Public Health advises a mother to plan ahead for the next baby by waiting 2 years before the next birth. A woman's body needs time to rest and recover after giving birth.

What can happen if a woman does not let her body rest and recover:

*She may give birth too early.

*She may have problems giving birth

*The baby may be born too small to live.

A woman can get pregnant during breastfeeding and within 6 weeks after giving birth. For her health, a woman should use an effective birth control method after giving birth and plan for her next pregnancy. Also, she should take a multi-vitamin or folic acid daily if she is within child-bearing age to help reduce the risk of birth defects if she were to become pregnant.

For more information on Family Planning and obtaining birth control, please call 1-800-545-1098 or visit the Alabama Department of Public Health website at www.adph.org/familyplanning .