Wednesday, February 3, 2016: Journal Club Meeting for General Membership,
6:30 – 8:30 PM. Barriques, 2166 Atwood Avenue/266 Dunning Street, Madison.
Discussion led by Anne Eglash.
Articles discussed:
1Mortel, Mylove and Supriya Mehta. “Systematic Review of the Efficacy of Herbal Galactagogues.” Journal of Human Lactation, 29(2): 154-162, May 2013.
2European Medicines Agency. “Restrictions on the use of domperidone-containing medicines.” 1 September 2014
3Moodley-Govender, Eshia et al. “Increased Exclusivity of Breastfeeding Associated with Reduced Gut Inflammation in Infants.” Breastfeeding Medicine. 10 (10): 488-492. December 2015.
4Gunderson, Erica P. et al. “Lactation and progression to Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus After Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Prospective Cohort Study.” Annals of Internal Medicine. 163(12): 15 December 2015.
1 and 2: Anne Eglash talked about domperidone: Difficult to obtain now in US. FDA cracking down on pharmacies. Mothers are sometimes getting it on line. Some from China.
Later shared by Anne Eglash: List of certified Canadian on-line Pharmacies:
These require a prescription. Beware of getting on line drugs from sources that say a prescription is not needed. These may not be safe, or what they say they are. Consumers are vulnerable to fraud.
We often think of estrogen as a negative for breast milk production, but it can sometimes work to help build tissue.
Domperadone prolongs the QT, interacts with many other medications including anti-anxiety meds and antidepressants, antibiotiocs.
She also talked about a variety of herbal galactagogues, including some not covered in the articles.
Shatavari – plant phyto-estrogen, can cause headaches in those who are sensitive to BCPs. Some have a paradoxical effect (lower supply). Others have no effect. Some have good results. So sometimes works, sometimes not. Used widely in India. Studies are small.
Moringa – Not mentioned in article. Studies in the Philippines where it is a common food show is beneficial, helps with PCOS patients, increases prolactin. Number 1 galactagogue in the Philippines. High in iron and calcium. Brands: Go Lacta (carried at Happy Bambino, can get on line as well), Organic India.Take capsules tid. People with PCOS say it makes them feel better, as metformin does.
Turbangun – Coleus. Used in Indonesia. Hard to find in US. Probably safe. Study used leaves in a soup. Should be looked at more carefully in future studies.
Blessed thistle – different from milk thistle – effective, increase in milk supply in studies
Goat’s Rue – for Insufficient Glandular Tissue. Metformin is derived from it. Motherlove brand is reliable. Can drop blood sugar. Start it right after birth. Stay on it for 4 – 6 months. Can be combined with fenugreek. She uses the Motherlove brand, but it doesn’t tell you what the exact dose is. Leila Midelfort: low milk supply is a syndrome. We all agree: look at their milk expression and their pump to be sure is working and effective, not just at the herbal galactagogues.
Fenugreek – leaves are better than seeds,but most supplements are made with seeds. Leaves available at Indian food store, Willy Street Coop bulk aisle. Crumble up and make a tea. Capsules are all seeds.
Caraway – a significant galactagogue. Seeds in rye bread, used in pizza seasoning, Nepali recipes fry seeds in oil. Anne Altshuler says that the Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzenhas a good Cauliflower-Cheese Soup recipe that uses caraway seeds.
Tumeric is an anti-inflammatory.
“The Galactagogue Recipe Book” by Frank Nice and Kim Myung-Hee, Hale Publishing, January 31, 2014. 259 pages.
See
The hot topic these days is foods that do more than just nourish your body. Antioxidants, prebiotics, probiotics--all are in the news. Through the ages, certain foods and herbs have been promoted to new mothers to increase their milk supplies. These foods and herbs, called galactogogues, likely increase milk production by increasing prolactin or oxytocin to initiate the breastmilk letdown reflex and aid in breastmilk ejection. Pharmacist Frank Nice and his wife, MyungHee, have pulled together more than 200 recipes featuring major and minor galactogogues in this cookbook. Dr. Nice includes dosage, uses, and cautions about each of the galactogogues. They have included many old family favorites passed down from their Polish and Korean ancestors. Some recipes include unusual ingredients--Stinging Nettle Pesto with Ravioli, Corn Bread with Red Clover Blossoms, Hot Chocolate Mousse with Marshmallow Root Fluff. Others have ingredients that are quite common--Pineapple Raisin Oat Bran Muffin, Sauteed Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Olive Oil, Avocado Shrimp Salad, Chicken Tacos. All have been taste-tested and confirmed to be delicious! If you are a new mom struggling with milk supply or if you just want to insure that your milk supply stays strong, try some of these recipes. Even if you aren't breastfeeding, the recipes in this cookbook are worth trying!
3: Gut Inflammation and Breastfeeding:
Inflammatory markers are higher with less amounts of breast milk.
Conclusion: Gut is healthier in breastfed infants.
Microflora is very different.
Anna Coutsoudis, one of the authors of this study, did a lot of the groundbreaking research on HIV in breast milk and mother to child transmission, showing that exclusive breastfeeding is important in reducing transmission and protecting babies.
4: Type II Diabetes.
Recent study of protective influence of breastfeeding on development of Type 2 Diabetes in mothers. 1035 women followed after gestational diabetes. If breastfed for 6 – 9 weeks, had 36 – 37 % decrease in later Type II diabetes. Sustained levels of high prolactinis good for the pancreas.
Lively interchange and discussion and sharing.
Other points of discussion:
Where do today’s mothers go to get information?Social media, peer group often more available and trusted sources.
Based on Anne Eglash’sexperience in Newfoundland, high initiation rates and having a year’s maternity leave does not in itself guarantee better breastfeeding duration rates. Good ongoing support is needed.
Can Zika virus be transmitted via breast milk? (Can be in semen, it was announced in the news today. Announced a few days later, isolated in saliva. Theoretically, could be in breast milk. This wouldn’t affect the developing fetus, but troubling reports of GuillainBarre following Zika infection. Could that affect a nursing baby?)
Can an HIV positive mother in the U.S. breastfeed her baby?
Some resources that address this question (from Anne Altshuler):
WABA (World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action) has this informational kit:
Health Care Practices and Research: Health Care Issues
HIV & Breastfeeding
See
Here is their November 2015 statement: See
Pamela Morrison. “Breastfeeding for HIV-Positive Mothers.”Breastfeeding Today. 12(26): 20 – 25, November 2014.
See the references at the end of this article. Anna Coutsoudis is a prominent researcher in this area.
Recent opening of Mothers’ Milk Bank of the Western Great Lakes: lots of milk currently available. Need to increase use of it. Monetary donations to support this new resource would be very welcome.
Breastfeeding skeptics ignore the fact that not supporting breastfeeding promotes continuing health disparities for minority populations. New book by Courtney Jung: “Lactivism: How Feminists and Fundamentalists, Hippies and Yuppies, and Physicians and Politicians Made Breastfeeding Big Business and Bad Policy” has received widespread publicity. Published 9/8/15.
See
Thoughtful response by Melissa Bartick on the Breastfeeding medicine blog at
Lancet 29 January 2016 issue devoted to Breastfeeding:
Link to all the articles in the new Lancet series, 29 January 2016
The recorded global launch event:
News items about the Lancet BF Series
Health News
Huffington Post
Time
CNN
Anne Altshuler participated in the Gold Online Lactation Alumni conference 1/26/16. There was a wonderful lecture by Diana West, titled “Sweet Sleep: Bedsharing for Breastfeeding Mothers and Babies.” She can watch this lecture again on her home computer through February 11. If anyone wants to come over and view it, email her at or call at 238-0864. The lecture is 1 hour and 16 minutes long. There is a 7 page bibliography. More information about this conference is on the Facebook page at
You can also purchase access to the 3 lectures for $45.00, but they are only available until 2/11/16.
Adria Cannon shared the following resources after the Journal Club on 2/3/16:
(WHEN is the WI Environmental Health Network)
1) WEHN registration for 2016. The date is Friday 2/26.
Here is their home page:
2) Splash! Milk Genomics newsletter
This is a dairy industry sponsored group but this newsletter focuses on summarizing interesting basic research in milk biology (human and other animals). I stumbled across it because Katie Hinde (atHarvard doinglactation/evolutionary biology with this blog contributes regularly to the newsletter.
Neither of these resources are clinical lactation stuff but maybe other folks are like me and sometimes just want to enjoy the biology of what's going on.