Abstinence Recommended for Breastfeeding Mothers -Avoiding Alcohol in the First Month of Birth Will Facilitate Optimal Infant Development

— Breastfeeding mothers will do good by their new born infants to steer clear of all alcohol in the first month, followed by a limited alcohol intake of two standard drinks per day thereafter. Available evidence shows that such prudent alcohol use is conducive to the optimal development of young infants while being breastfed. With a lack of information to guide breastfeeding mothers and health professionals on appropriate alcohol consumption during lactation, researchers from Curtin University have published a study delineating clear guidelines on alcohol intake by lactating mothers to ensure successful breastfeeding - enabling women to make more educated choices on their alcohol intake.

Melbourne, Australia (PRWEB) May 28, 2006 -- Published in the June 2006 issue of Nutrition & Dietetics- the official Journal of the Dietitians Association of Australia, including the Journal of the New Zealand Dietetic Association - researchers advise that avoiding alcohol in the first month of birth will facilitate optimal infant development. This paper also provides a critical review of the current literature on the physiological process and hormonal control of lactogenesis, the milk ejection reflex, and the effect of alcohol on these processes in both the short and long term.

Public Health Postgraduate Scholar for the NHMRC, Accredited Practicing Dietitian and co-author of this paper, Ms. Rosyln Giglia, reviewed all English language articles published between 1990 and 2005, but found little evidence of substantial research done on the effects of alcohol on infants of lactating women.

Ms. Giglia said, “Alcohol and infants don’t go together. Providing concrete information on drinking alcohol to breastfeeding mothers will remove any uncertainty about drinking while breastfeeding, support the best development outcomes for the baby and promote a settled and contented infant. Alcohol is a powerful drug. Mothers should reduce their baby’s risk of exposure to alcohol when breastfeeding.”

Despite popular folklore belief that consuming alcohol (particularly beer) will enhance breast milk supply and relax the mother, available research provides evidence to the contrary. Researchers hope that in fostering the mindset of abstinence during and immediately following pregnancy, women may be better prepared to maintain the behaviour throughout lactation and possibly prolonging the duration of breastfeeding – conditions greatly vital for successful breastfeeding and optimal infant development.

This study is published in the June 2006 issue of the Nutrition & Dietetics journal.

About Nutrition & Dietetics
Nutrition & Dietetics is Australia’s leading peer-reviewed journal in its field. Covering all aspects of food, nutrition and dietetics, the Journal provides a forum for the reporting, discussion and development of scientifically credible knowledge related to human nutrition and dietetics. Widely respected in Australia and the rest of the world, Nutrition & Dietetics publishes original research, methodology analyses, commentaries and viewpoints, research reviews, book reviews and much more. Nutrition & Dietetics is the scientific journal of the Dietitians Association of Australia including the Journal of the New Zealand Dietetic Association.

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