More moms breast-feeding today but stop too soon

The most recent survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that the percentage of women nursing rose slightly from 2000 to 2004, from 71% to 74%. According to the CDC, this is a new high and is based on almost 17,000 responses.
However, they also found that only about 30% of these moms are feeding breast milk alone by three months after birth, and by 6 months, only 11% are breast feeding exclusively.

The concern is that studies have consistently shown the benefits to the health of both babies and the mothers if babies are exclusively breastfed for the first 3 months and at least partially nursed the first 6 months. Formula hasn’t been shown to be as effective in protecting health as breast milk. Not only is the immune system strengthened, decreasing the likelihood of allergies and disease, but also helps develop jaw, teeth and speech development. As for the benefits for the mom, besides increasing the number of calories burnt during nursing, which can be as high as 500 calories a day, benefits of nursing has been shown to include reduced risk for breast and ovarian cancer. We won’t even discuss the benefits of cost savings!

The goal of the CDC is to have 60% of women to breast-feed exclusively for the first 3 months and 25% through 6 months.

Babies should not be given cows milk for the first 2 years of life because they are unable to digest the animal protein from cows milk. When babies are given cows milk too early, they tend to develop allergy and digestion problems that last their entire life.

If you are considering how you will feed your baby, be sure to have a serious discussion with your doctor or health professional to determine the best course of action for your situation.

For more on breastfeeding tips and benefits, go to these sites:
http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/
http://www.fda.gov/Fdac/features/895_brstfeed.html
http://www.lactationconnection.com/questions.htm
http://www.llli.org/FAQ/advantages.html

What could your cat’s illness tell you?

A very interesting study appeared in a recent issue of Environmental Science and Technology looking at the cause of overactive thyroid disease in cats. For years, no one has been able to figure out what was causing this disease, but experts do know that 35 years ago, this was never a condition vets ever saw!

The link this study found was from exposure to chemical flame retardants called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), which were used in foam, plastics, furniture, electronics, fabrics and carpet padding. Manufacturers started using PBDE’s in their products in the late 1970s and agreed to stop using it in 2004 when a study showed a concern of toxicity in animals, but many products are still out in our houses.

How does this relate to your kids, though? Well, researchers have concluded that the biggest culprit came from two sources; cat food and dust. I hope your kid isn’t eating cat food, but if you have a toddler, they are more exposed to house dust than we, as adults are! In fact, there have been earlier studies from Australia, Norway and in the US indicating that children under 4 years old can have far larger levels of these compounds than adults. And one study found a significant relationship between indoor dust exposure and PBDE levels in first-time mothers in the Boston area. Another found PBDE levels in Americans are three to 10 times higher than in Europeans. Tom Webster, a professor of environmental health at Boston University, said animal research has found PBDEs to damage the nervous system and disrupt hormones, but studies haven’t been done to look at people’s health, yet.

Authors of the study, although alarmed, say don’t throw out your furniture and rip out your carpets just yet. However, they each said they are washing blankets and checking labels on types of flame retardant used on furniture, now.

So, what can you take away from this rather disturbing report?

I know that as I was reading these reports, I instantly thought about my own home. I have no toddlers, but I do have a cat. My guess is much of what is in my house fits into the categories mentioned above. Granted, I would love to replace the carpet and buy new furniture, although I don’t plan to do that immediately, what I CAN do is perhaps work harder at keeping the dust cleaned up.

The only other suggestion is to keep an eye open for more news on this topic!

To read the abstract, click here.

Coffee and Exercise: Can this combination protect you from skin cancer?

Researchers were in the process of investigating the role green tea plays in preventing cancer and were comparing decaffeinated and caffeine-containing brews when they discovered the mice given the caffeine tea liked to get on their exercise wheels. The result was they found those mice given caffeine who were exercising had fewer skin cancer cells when exposed to UV-B light!

It is no secret that caffeine can enhance exercise, which is why limits are put on how much can be found in the bloodstream of professional athletes and Olympians. And there is plenty of research supporting the theory that exercise can help decrease the risk of many cancers. But I can’t recall a study that has looked at the combination of caffeine and exercise before!

Cells with damaged DNA are programmed to self-destruct, a process called apoptosis, but not all does that, and damaged cells can become cancerous. Compared with the control animals, those drinking caffeine had a 95 percent increase in apoptosis in damaged cells. The exercisers showed a 120 percent increase, and the mice that were both drinking and running showed a nearly 400 percent increase.

Researchers don’t yet understand the mechanism for this, but they do have several theories. They now hope to start research on humans because there is a huge upward trend in the incidence of skin cancer among Americans, so finding new ways to protect from sun damage is at a premium.

So what can we take away from this research? First of all, I decided to write about it because it was so unique. As I read the study, however, I am always fascinated by how researchers discover what may be a groundbreaking solution! Who knows!? I think Dr. Michael H. Gold, a Nashville, Tenn., dermatologist and a spokesman for the Skin Cancer Foundation, said it best, though: “If you go outside, you have to wear a sunscreen ... it has to be caffeine and exercise with your sunscreen.”

Again, there is that recommendation to exercise! Need I say more??

Oh, and by the way, researchers found that decaffeinated tea did not protect against skin cancer.

To read the abstract of the study, click here: http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/abstract/104/31/12936

Looking for the Magic Shot that will Melt your Fat away?

We’ve all wished for that! Forget the dieting; forget the exercise, just take a shot and the fat is gone.

Well, there IS such a thing, and it’s called injection lipolysis, an increasingly popular treatment in the US that’s considered a non-surgical solution to localized body fat. It’s also known as lypolysis, mesotherapy, or under the brand names of Lipodissolve and Lipostabil.

Patients who receive injection lipolysis receive a series of shots in their bellies, thighs, upper arms, neck or any other fatty area that they want to shrink. Depending on the target area and the particular clinic, patients require multiple visits, spaced two to four weeks apart and get between five and 25 shots per visit. The costs can run between $1,000 to #3,000. Patients say the shots can feel like a bea sting to something much more painful. According to practitioners, this type of treatment is only for people who have very localized, small amounts of fat to lose. If people have larger amounts, they should look into liposuction.

Now, it all sounds great, huh? And, according to those to sell this service claim there is a lot of great research supporting its use. However, most of the research supporting it was conducted by the person who developed the procedure and experts in plastic surgery are not convinced, yet.

In fact, the American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS) is so concerned about the risk of harm from these treatments; they have officially released a patient safety warning on their website. In a nutshell, the concerns are several: First of all, in many clinics, staff injecting the patients are not qualified health professionals, but often just trained employees. Also, the ingredients injected are not yet standardized and not approved by the FDA. So you don’t really know what you’re being injected with! Finally, it is not entirely understood what happens to the fat that is dissolved. The developer of the procedure has a theory, but this theory has not been proven, yet. And of course, there have been reports of complications.

Getting a shot to get rid of that little extra body fat sounds great! My clients are always dreaming of the ‘quick fix’, even as they sweat and lift and monitor their intake. But just wait a little longer. Plus, just because you may be able to one day get a shot to get rid of those love handles, this still won’t strengthen your heart or decrease your cancer risk.
Below are links to various studies and statements:

Patient Safety Warning
UK Departmemt of Health Statement
Injection lipolysis for effective reduction of localized fat in place of minor surgical lipoplasty
Clinical safety data and standards of practice for injection lipolysis: A retrospective study