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May 2019 DOI 10.14302/issn.2644-0105.jbfb-19-2752
K. Bai YeonCorresponding author
Associate Professor, Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey 07043
The proportion of mothers in the workforce has increased over the past 40 years. Examination of factors associated with a working/student mother’s milk expression is needed to provide effective lactation support. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of maternal assets in the relationships between the theory constructs, intention, and behavior of breast milk expression. Using a cross-sectional design framed under the theory of planned behavior, all female personnel associated with a higher education institute in northern New Jersey were invited to participate in the online survey, Milk Expression on Campus. Attitude toward breast milk expression, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, intention, and behavior of breast milk expression on campus as well as maternal assets such as income, education, living status, and campus role were measured. Maternal assets had no moderation role but showed a significant and meaningful mediation effect on the relationship between perceived behavioral control and the intention to express breast milk on campus, with effect size R2=3.59%, 95% CI (-.1061, -.0047). There was no mediation effect of the asset on the relationship between intention and the behavior of breast milk expression, 95% CI (-.0984, .0232). Future breastfeeding support and promotion may direct its attention to provide systematic social and clinical support to enhance working/student maternal assets, e.g. family education, access to lactation services, or peer-based support programs, thereby helping mothers achieve their breastfeeding goals.
Nov 2016 DOI 10.14302/issn.2644-0105.jbfb-16-1257
Aumeistere LivaCorresponding author
Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment BIOR, Riga, Latvia
Background: Breast milk is the ideal food source that contains all components an infant needs. Infants are at risk of receiving possible pollutants and high levels of trans fatty acids through breast milk that may affect their cardiovascular health and cognitive development. Statistics indicate that the proportion of children who are breastfed up to one year of age shows an annual increase in Latvia. Objectives: 1. To review studies conducted among the Latvian population regarding breast milk composition. 2. To evaluate the necessary future studies emphasizing the importance of the trans fatty acid content in a mother’s diet and correspondingly in breast milk and taking into consideration the new changes in Latvian legislation setting the maximum trans fat content in foodstuffs. Conclusions: There is very little research done about the human milk composition in Latvia that could be referable to a general population. It is known that the exposure of breast milk to persistent organic pollutants in Latvia corresponds to the lowest levels detected in the European countries and is not a cause of health disorders. Taking into consideration the adverse effect trans fatty acids have on human’s health regardless of the age, consumption should be as low as possible. Latvia has become the latest European Union country to set the maximum amount of trans fats in foodstuffs, yet there is no information about trans fatty acids content in human milk among women in Latvia. This problem needs to be addressed and set in motion. Therefore, it would be a novel idea to study if the TFA content also declines in milk among Latvian women after the introduction of the new legislation.
Apr 2019 DOI 10.14302/issn.2644-0105.jbfb-19-2681
L. Blanco CynthiaCorresponding author
Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas.
This study compared the effect of container material type on macronutrient changes in human breast milk (HBM) during frozen storage. HBM was collected from breastfeeding mothers and baseline macronutrients were analyzed and recorded. The HBM was aliquoted into milk storage containers of five commonly used materials (low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP), glass, stainless steel, and silicone). The samples were frozen in a standard freezer (-20°F) for 30, 60, and 180 days prior to thawing and retesting macronutrient values. In the 155 samples analyzed, macronutrient changes among different types of storage materials were insignificant at 30 and 60 days of frozen storage. When comparing macronutrients at baseline to 180 days, there was a significant decrease in protein value over time in LDPE containers as compared to silicone containers (p=0.001). Likewise, there was a significant decrease in total calories from baseline to 180 days in both PP and LDPE containers compared to silicone (p=0.046 and 0.013, respectively). While not significant for short-term storage, HBM has losses of macronutrients (protein) with long-term storage in LDPE and PP plastics. These differences could have major nutritional impact on growth, particularly to infants born prematurely.
Jul 2016 DOI 10.14302/issn.2644-0105.jbfb-16-1121
Anderson GeorgeCorresponding author
CRC Scotland & London, Eccleston Square, London, UK.
The biological underpinnings that drive the plethora of breastfeeding benefits over formula-feeding is an area of intense research, given the cognitive and emotional benefits as well as the offsetting of many childhood- and adult-onset medical conditions that breast-feeding provides. In this article, we review the research on the role of melatonin in driving some of these breastfeeding benefits. Melatonin is a powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive as well as optimizing mitochondrial function. Melatonin is produced by the placenta and, upon parturition, maternal melatonin is passed to the infant upon breastfeeding with higher levels in night-time breast milk. As such, some of the benefits of breastfeeding may be mediated by the higher levels of maternal circulating night-time melatonin, allowing for circadian and antioxidant effects, as well as promoting the immune and mitochondrial regulatory aspects of melatonin; these actions may positively modulate infant development. Herein, it is proposed that some of the benefits of breastfeeding may be mediated by melatonin's regulation of the infant's gut microbiota and immune responses. As such, melatonin is likely to contribute to the early developmental processes that affect the susceptibility to a range of adult onset conditions. Early research on animal models has shown promising results for the regulatory role of melatonin.