Search

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method with fluorescence detection was developed and validated for the determination of gemifloxacin in human breast milk. The proposed method allows the determination of gemifloxacin in breast milk samples without complex sample preparation. The samples were mixed with a mobile phase and filtered with a 0.45 µm polytetrafluoroethylene filter before analysis. Chromatographic separation was carried out on a C18 column (150 × 4.6 mm, 5 µm I.D.) using methanol:50 mM ortho-phosphoric acid solution (40:60) as the mobile phase with a 1.0 mL/min flow rate. Quantitation was performed using fluorescence detection with an excitation wavelength at 272 nm and an emission wavelength at 395 nm. The linear range was found to be 0.1-2.5 µg/mL. The method was applied successfully for the determination of gemifloxacin in breast milk obtained from a breastfeeding mother after oral administration of a single tablet that included 320 mg gemifloxacin per gemifloxacin tablet.

Traditionally, women have relied upon the wisdom and experience of other women to learn about mothering and breastfeeding. In the United States, however, this once-standard mother-to-mother interaction was almost nonexistent by the mid-20th century. Recent advances in the understanding of the benefits of breastfeeding for maternal and child health have led most professional organizations to advocate breastfeeding as the norm of infant feeding. Promotional breastfeeding efforts over the past 3 decades include strategies to strengthen support for breastfeeding in the health care system and in the community. Breastfeeding peer counseling represents a model of mother-to-mother support which emerged in the 1980s as a community-based resource to provide mothers with the support and assistance needed to establish and maintain breastfeeding in the early weeks and months postpartum. This article describes the role, training, and effectiveness of breastfeeding peer counselors and discusses ways that mothers and peer counselors might benefit from the connection and relationship that develops between the breastfeeding mother and her peer counselor. An exemplar of a breastfeeding peer counseling program is presented.

The promotion of breastfeeding has been established as a global public health issue. Despite this global agenda, breastfeeding initiation and duration rates remain low in many countries. The lack of provision of adequate support to the breastfeeding mother is an important contributory factor to shorter duration of breastfeeding. Health professionals and voluntary breastfeeding supporters are in a prime position to work collaboratively to provide comprehensive support to the breastfeeding mother. However, a comparative evaluation of the breastfeeding support skills of voluntary breastfeeding supporters and health professionals has never been conducted. This study aimed to assess the breastfeeding support skills of midwives and Breastfeeding Network (BfN) supporters. Breastfeeding support skills were assessed using a between-subjects design conducted with 15 midwives and 15 BfN supporters in the north-west of England. Support skills were measured using the prevalidated Breastfeeding Support Skills Tool (BeSST), a questionnaire and video tool. Total scores on the BeSST were significantly higher in the BfN group (mean = 42.5 +/- 6.4 SD) than in the midwife group (mean = 30.7 +/- 8.2 SD) [t (26.5) = 4.4, P < 0.0001]. The BfN group has the breastfeeding support skills necessary to provide adequate assistance for breastfeeding mothers. An interagency and interdisciplinary collaborative model is crucial to developing a coherent and cohesive approach to the support infrastructure for breastfeeding women.

The number of women in the workforce is continuing to increase and surveys suggest that one-fourth of employed women with a child less than 1 year of age will be concurrently breastfeeding and working for at least 1 month. Combining breastfeeding and employment is a complex process in American society. Women will be seeking practical, sound advice on how to be successful in this combination. This article offers suggestions for promoting its success, describes the pre-planning that needs to occur, and provides current lactation recommendations and resources. It also offers information about working with employers, the importance of a support network, decisions that each family must make, the use of breast pumps, milk storage, lactation enhancement including the use of herbs, and practical tips for the mother’s working day.

A 28-year-old breastfeeding mother of term-born 3-month old twins contacted the Hospital Lactation consultant for advice. She had expressed milk at 2am and had stored the milk in the fridge. She fed some of that milk to one of the twins at 11am and further milk to both twins at 4pm. All three bottles were left on the bench until the next morning when the mother intended to clean the bottles. She found that the milk residue in all three feeding bottles had turned bright pink and had a strong earthy odour (see Fig. 1). The mother brought one of the bottles containing the bright pink milk with her to the hospital. The mother was in good health, with no symptoms of mastitis and no fever. Both twins were also healthy and continued to feed well and gain weight. What is the cause of the pink milk? (answer on page 82)