Hello everybody, my name is Ryan. I currently attend the College of Nursing at the University of North Dakota. The majority of my classes this semester deal with childbearing and child health. I will be participating in clinical rotations on the OB floor and will need to be able to do patient education regarding breast feeding. I have learned about the numerous benefits of breast feeding. I can spout off that it offers improvement in immunity and digestion. Breast feeding helps the baby gain weight appropriately and aids the mother in returning to her normal weight more easily. It also serves as an excellent way for mother and baby to bond. I view these statements as facts proven by many studies. However, I did come across two questions in my studies on the benefits of breast feeding.
My first question is about a breast feeding mother’s energy requirements. Doran and Evers (1997) stated that the quality of breast milk is seldom affected by inadequate intake. Most often, the mother’s body is stripped of energy and nutrients to feed the baby. Low income mothers are mostly at risk for undernourishment of this sort. It also stated that there are few studies on the effects of inadequate intake on the mother. I would like to know what experienced health care professionals have seen. How does this situation play out?
My second question relates to the correlation between breast feeding and intelligence. There are many studies showing no correlation between the two and some that do show a correlation. Mortensen, Michaelsen, Sanders, and Reinisch (2002) found that there was a positive correlation. This study showed that there is a long term (into early adulthood) positive effect on intelligence for infants that are breastfed for seven to nine months. Wigg, Tong, McMichael and Baghurst (1998) found that there was a positive, but not significant, effect in early childhood that faded until no perceived difference at age 13. These two studies represent all the studies I read. I found approximately the same amount of studies showing a correlation as not. The presents me with a problem. I would like to use this benefit of breast feeding in my patient education and promotion of breast feeding, but I won’t tell someone breast feeding can improve intelligence when I have found no proof. I would jus
t like to know what experienced professionals have experienced and how they approach the subject of intelligence and breast feeding. Do you include it in your “pitch” for breast feeding?
Doran, L. & Evers, S. (1997). Energy and nutrient inadequacies in the diets of low-income women who breast-feed. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 97, 1283-1288.
Mortensen, E. L., Michaelsen, K. F., Sanders, S. A., & Reinisch, J. M. (2002). The association between duration of breastfeeding and adult intelligence. Journal of the American Medical Association, 287, 2365-2372.
Wigg, N. R., Tong, S., McMichael, A. J., & Baghurst, P. A. (1998). Does breastfeeding at six months predict cognitive development? Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 22, 232-237.
P.S. I know this is long, so thank you for taking the time to read and respond. It is very much appreciated.
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