Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine (BFLM) programs at academic medical centers are uncommon but expanding. Our academic medical center, with a long legacy of leadership in BFLM, established a BFLM program in 2016 and launched a dedicated division in 2022. To describe the strategy, services, measures, and challenges facing our multidisciplinary academic BFLM program in its first 8 years.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Maternal stress is pervasive in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Maternal stress is associated with changes in human milk (HM) immunomodulatory agents, which may impact neonatal health. We sought to determine the association between maternal stress, HM immunoglobulin A (IgA) and cortisol, and to assess how these milk components correlate with infant immune and neurodevelopmental outcomes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction Maternal exposure to tobacco smoke is associated with shortened breastfeeding duration, but few studies have examined the effects on breastfeeding outcomes of low level exposures to other toxic chemicals. Moreover, it is unclear if passive smoking is associated with duration of breastfeeding. Our objective was therefore to examine the effect of low-level prenatal exposures to common environmental toxins (tobacco smoke, lead, and phthalates) on breastfeeding exclusivity and duration.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: An emerging trend in Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) is to coordinate breastfeeding care, research, and trainee education through "medical director" positions. Little is known about their duties, supports, and challenges.
Objective: To determine the duties and challenges of directors of breastfeeding medicine in AMCs.