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Other Health Topics:
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Related Topics
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Go Local
- Services and providers for Breast Feeding in the U.S.
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National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Breast Feeding is the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
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Breast Feeding
Also called: Lactation, Nursing
Breast feeding offers many benefits to your baby. Breast milk contains the right balance of nutrients to help your infant grow into a strong and healthy toddler. Some of the nutrients in breast milk also help protect your infant against some common childhood illnesses and infections. It may also help your health. Certain types of cancer may occur less often in mothers who have breastfed their babies.
Women who don't have health problems should try to give their babies breast milk for at least the first six months of life. There are some cases when it's better not to breast feed. If you have HIV or active tuberculosis, you should not breast feed because you could give the infection to your baby. Certain medicines, illegal drugs, and alcohol can also pass through the breast milk and cause harm to your baby.
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Start Here
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Breast Feeding: Hints to Help You Get Off to a Good Start(American Academy of Family Physicians)
Also available in Spanish
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Breastfeeding
(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
| Basics | Learn More | Multimedia & Cool Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Research | Reference Shelf | For You |
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Overviews
- Breast-Feeding: What Every Mom Needs to Know(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Breastfeeding(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Breastfeeding -- Best for Baby. Best for Mom.(National Women's Health Information Center)
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Easy Guide to Breastfeeding(National Women's Health Information Center) - Large PDF file
Also available in Spanish
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Latest News
- Nursing Beats Sugar Water for Easing Baby's Pain(09/05/2008, Reuters Health)
- Breast or Bottle? New Mothers Get Mixed Message(09/03/2008, Reuters Health)
- Taking Codeine While Breast-Feeding May Harm Infant(08/25/2008, HealthDay)
- Measuring Breastfeeding Support across the US(08/04/2008, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- More News on Breast Feeding
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Nutrition
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Breastfeeding FAQs: Your Eating and Drinking Habits(Nemours Foundation)
Also available in Spanish
- MyPyramid for Pregnancy & Breastfeeding(Dept. of Agriculture)
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Breastfeeding FAQs: Your Eating and Drinking Habits(Nemours Foundation)
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Related Issues
- Alphabetical FAQ on Breastfeeding Subject Index(La Leche League International)
- Breast Pumps(Food and Drug Administration)
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Breastfeeding and Returning to Work(American Academy of Family Physicians)
Also available in Spanish
- Breastfeeding and Travel: Health Information for International Travel(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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Breastfeeding vs. Formula Feeding(Nemours Foundation)
Also available in Spanish
- Breastfeeding with Confidence(American College of Nurse-Midwives)
- Contaminated Nipple Cream(Food and Drug Administration)
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Feeding Your Baby with Breast Milk or Formula
(Food and Drug Administration)
Also available in Spanish
- Human Milk Banks(National Women's Health Information Center)
- Lactation Suppression: When You Choose Not to Breast-Feed(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Lactational Amenorrhea FAQ(Family Health International)
Also available in Spanish
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LactMed: Drugs and Lactation Database(National Library of Medicine)
- Mastitis(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Nipple Dermatitis(Logical Images)
- Over-the-Counter Medications and Breastfeeding(Cleveland Clinic Foundation)
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Pregnancy, Breastfeeding, and Bone Health(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
- Warning for Nursing Mothers Taking Codeine(Food and Drug Administration)
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Weaning Your Child(Nemours Foundation)
Also available in Spanish
- What's in Breast Milk?(American Pregnancy Association)
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Tutorials
- Slide Show: Breast-Feeding Positions(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Breast Feeding(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Breast Feeding
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Research
- More Moms Breastfeeding, But Not for Very Long(Nemours Foundation)
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Research on Breastfeeding(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Who supports breastfeeding?
- Article: The power of obstinacy. Keynote address delivered at State of...
- Article: Did the drug cause death? Codeine and breastfeeding.
- Breast Feeding -- see more articles
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Directories
- Find a La Leche League Leader or Group Near You in the USA(La Leche League International)
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Organizations
- American College of Nurse-Midwives
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La Leche League International
Also available in Spanish
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National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
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Law and Policy
- Breastfeeding and the Law(La Leche League International)
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Statistics
- Breastfeeding in the United States: 1999-2006(National Center for Health Statistics)
- Breastfeeding Report Card(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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Men
- What Is the Father's Role in the Breastfeeding Relationship?(La Leche League International)
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Date last updated: 08 September 2008 Topic last reviewed: 07 August 2008 |