Saturday, November 29, 2003

Health Tips... from UPI - The Washington Times: United Press International: "WHY BREAST-FED INFANTS RESIST HIV INFECTION

Researchers say anti-viral agents in an infant's saliva may protect the child from breast-feeding related HIV. While breast feeding is estimated to cause one-third to one-half of new infant HIV-1 infections worldwide, most breast-fed infants with HIV-positive mothers remain uninfected. Scientists at Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta identified factors that can affect transmission of HIV through breastfeeding. Scientists believe while breeches in an infant's intestinal lining may allow the virus entry, anti-viral agents in an infant's saliva may present a hostile environment to the virus, diverting infection. The presence of HIV antibody in saliva already has been recognized in HIV-infected individuals, but scientists do not yet know whether this antibody is developed in non-infected breast-fed infants. "
The Daily Telegraph | Basking in the glow
Daily Telegraph
Excerpt
[Sarah McLachlan talks about difficulties adjusting to motherhood as she worked on her new album. - JC]

"'I hated everything I was writing. I think that was mostly because I was pushing myself back into music too soon after having my child. That didn't work at all and I ended up resenting it.


'That was a bit frightening. I was so sleep-deprived but I wasn't thinking about that being to blame or trying to blame anything, really. I just thought all the music I was writing was complete crap.


'And I love making music. It's a joyous thing for me and at that time, there was no joy.'


India's arrival also meant a change to McLachlan's modus operandi for songwriting. Being a mum meant she could no longer isolate herself for months on end to focus on her work.


'I used to go and lock myself away in a cabin %u2013 because I'm such a procrastinator %u2013 and just write the album,' she says. 'But having a kid means you're lucky if you have an hour a day to focus on writing and that's not enough.


'So I stopped trying to make it enough and decided to focus on being a mother and not trying so hard.


'The fog lifted after I finished breast-feeding. I've spoken to a lot of mothers who've said exactly the same thing %u2013 that literally a week after you finish breast-feeding, you feel like a different person.


'And India had become a little more independent and strong and could handle a few hours away from mum.'"
New Zealand News - NZ - Problems deter breastfeeding mothers: survey
CA WALSH, Health Reporter

If New Zealand wants women to breastfeed their babies, more resources are needed to help first-time mothers overcome 'normal problems', a survey says.

Parenting magazine Little Treasures has found that two-thirds of first-time mothers had problems breastfeeding and found it difficult to get help... "