Breastfeeding Awareness Month

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By Dr. Alyx Rosen Aigen - WDS Social Media Committee

August is national breastfeeding awareness month. We want to take this time to highlight a few key facts regarding breastfeeding. There are numerous benefits of breastfeeding for both the mother and baby.

Breast milk can provide the ideal nutrition for infants. It contains antibodies that help babies fight infections and has been shown to lower a baby’s risk of having asthma or allergies. There are also benefits for the breastfeeding mother including helping the uterus return to its pre-pregnancy size, decease risk of breast and ovarian cancer, and it may lower the risk of osteoporosis. Every baby is unique and each mother’s experience with breastfeeding will have it’s own challenges but always remember that fed is best! 

As dermatologists, we are often encountered with questions from the pregnant or lactating patient about the safety of common dermatologic topical and systemic (oral/IV) medications. In 2013, WDS member and Co-Editor-In-Chief of IJWD, Dr. Jenny Murase and colleagues published related articles in the JAAD: “Safety of dermatologic medications in pregnancy and lactation.” This incredible resource is a two-part series on key aspects of the safety data during lactation and pregnancy for some of the most commonly prescribed dermatology medications. 
The IJWD, the official journal of the WDS, has also published several articles on breastfeeding. Check out the following articles.
Finally, a question for all breastfeeding mothers with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 is whether it is still safe to breastfeed. The virus has yet to be detected in breastmilk of any mother with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 and there is no evidence that the virus is transmitted through breastfeeding. Research is ongoing and as always, women should talk to their OB/GYN and pediatrician about what is best for them and their baby. We encourage you to check out the WHO, cdc.gov, womenshealth.gov, and blackwomendobreastfeed.org for more information.

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