Jun 10, 2022
Welcome back to UHC’s House Call on WDTV. In the second part of our four part series, Jamie Rudash joins us to talk about breastfeeding.
How long should a mother breastfeed?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants be exclusively breastfed for about the first 6 months; however, you may want to continue breastfeeding along with introducing appropriate complementary foods for approximately one year.
Mothers should be encouraged to breastfeed their children for at least 1 year. The longer an infant is breastfed, the greater the protection from certain illnesses and long-term diseases. The more months or years a woman breastfeeds the greater the benefits to her health as well.
Are special precautions needed for handling breast milk?
CDC does not list human breast milk as a body fluid to which universal precautions apply. Exposure to human breast milk has not been shown to lead to transmission of HIV or Hepatitis B infection.
How can a mother continue to provide breast milk to her infant after returning to work or school?
Being prepared for returning to work or school can help a mother ease the transition and continue to breastfeed after her maternity leave is over.
When a mother is away from her infant, she can pump, or hand express her breast milk so that her infant can drink breast milk from a bottle
This content was originally posted on the WDTV News website here.
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