Breastfeeding Cuts Risk of Infant Death by 20%
A study of 9000 infants deaths in the U.S. showed that breastfeeding reduces an infant’s risk of death in the first year of life by 20%. The longer the breastfeeding, the lower the risk.

Another study published this month showed that kids who are breastfed have a lower risk of heart attack and stroke as adults.

Dr. Sears comments: One could also look at the data another way. Formula feeding increases the risk of death, and the earlier an infant is weaned (before age 1 year) the greater the risk of death. Click here to read about the many benefits of breastfeeding and why the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a minimum of 1 year of breastfeeding for all infants.

Blood Pressure in Kids Continues to Rise
A study of 5500 kids compared blood pressures back in 1988 to pressures in 2000. Results have risen by an average of 1.5 points in the systolic pressure (the top number) and 3.3 points in the diastolic pressure (the bottom number). Average blood pressures rose from 104/58 in 1988 to 106/61 in 2000. This does not seem like much, but in the next 20 to 30 years, if this trend continues, we will have an epidemic of childhood cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Sears comments: Click here to read more on how to improve your child’s cardiovascular health.

Spanking Before Age 2 Leads to Later Behavior Problems
A study of more than 2000 children followed discipline methods from age 2 until age 6. Those who were spanked before age two were more likely to have behavior problems in school. For example, toddlers who were spanked five times a week (that’s about once a day) were four times as likely to require a parent-teacher conference because of a behavior problem compared to kids who were not spanked.

Dr. Sears comments: Click here to read about creative ways to discipline your child that do not include spanking.

Cord Blood Stem Cells Found to Cure Rare Inherited Disorder
A team of researchers at Duke performed 20 cord blood stem cell transplants since 1995 for a rare metabolic disorder called Hurler’s Syndrome, which affects about 1 in 100,000 people. Most untreated cases die of heart or lung failure by age 10. 17 out of the 20 transplants successfully cured the disease. Before cord blood came into use, standard bone marrow transplants were the treatment of choice, but only about 10 out of every 20 cases were cured.

Dr. Sears comments: It’s exciting to continuously see new treatments and cures from cord blood stem cells. Click here to read more about banking your newborn’s cord blood for future possibilities.

Eating Oily Fish During Pregnancy Reduces Infant Asthma Risk
A study at USC found that when asthmatic women regularly eat oily fish, such as salmon or trout, during their pregnancy, their infants are 70% less likely to develop asthma before age 5 years compared to the infants of asthmatic women who don’t eat fish. This is thought to be due to the anti-inflammatory effects of the healthy omega-3 fats in fish. If a mom has asthma, her kids have a high risk of also developing the disease, so this finding is an important one.

Dr. Sears comments: Healthy omega – 3 fats have many benefits for a developing baby. It’s important to get enough during pregnancy and while breastfeeding, but beware – Tuna, shark, king mackerel, and swordfish have mercury, so these should be limited. Farmed salmon is contaminated with cancer-causing PCB’s. Wild salmon caught in the ocean is the safest and healthiest.

Click here to read more about eating fish or taking fish oil supplements during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Click here to read more about the health benefits of eating fish.