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Taxed with too many questions and too little time, but intent on meeting the needs of parents and health professionals alike, Dr. Thomas Hale is planning to create a national call center at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. The InfantRisk Center will be associated with the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health and will give callers up-to-date, evidence-based information on the use of medications during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

Hale, Professor of Pediatrics at Texas Tech University and author of Medications and Mother’s Milk, hopes to have the call center up and running by the end of July 2010 and is asking…

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A significant number of breastfeeding mothers report having “not enough milk.” In an effort to boost their supply, many turn to galactagogues (drugs or herbs used to increase milk production)—some have proven successful, others not so much. Given the scant data on galactagogues, particularly lacking is information on side effects, Drs. Thomas Hale and Kathleen Kendall-Tackett are conducting an online research study—a survey of women’s experience with two drugs commonly used to increase milk production—domperidone or metoclopramide.

Any mother who has taken either drug is asked to complete a 30 minute on-line survey. The study has been approved by the…

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Health Canada have alerted parents and caregivers to the risk for dosing errors when giving liquid vitamin D to babies.

Amidst growing concerns over vitamin D deficiency, baby gooroo has discussed the importance of vitamin D and the need for supplementation, but no mention has been made, until now, of the need to exercise caution when giving liquid vitamins to children.

The back-to-back warnings were prompted by reports that some liquid vitamin D products were being sold with droppers that were either mislabeled, not labeled, or oversized, making it possible for parents to accidently give more than the…

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What was once a pill-a-day regimen has turned into two-a-day. And despite the increase, my level of vitamin D is still below what experts consider normal—a level that is about to change, again. With increased awareness and knowledge of the benefits of vitamin D (a Google search of “vitamin D studies” yields nearly 8 million results) comes a need to reassess how much each individual needs. But knowing how much vitamin D to take each day is like trying to hit a moving target. While the current RDA (recommended dietary allowance) for vitamin D is 400 IU, evidence now suggests that…

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If you’ve ever had a flu shot, you’ve almost certainly been asked, “Are you allergic to eggs?” I’ve always wondered what the options are for those who answer, “Yes.” Are they denied the vaccine? Are they left unprotected from the flu?

The answer is no. No, egg-allergic patients without anaphylaxis do not need to be denied the vaccine. No, they won’t be left unprotected from the flu. Children without anaphylactic reactions to egg may safely receive the flu vaccine, in a controlled fashion.

Research
In a study recently published in the journal Pediatrics, researchers from Children’s Hospital Boston analyzed data from the medical records of…

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Lactation consultants know their stuff. Years ago, one of them told me that breastfeeding enhances the effects of some vaccines, and she also recommended breastfeeding as soon as possible following vaccinations, since doing so is a natural pain reliever for baby.

That was news to me. When I mentioned it to my son’s pediatrician, he said feel free to stay in the examination room following the shots to breastfeed for as long as I’d like (which I appreciated very much) but it made me wonder, would he have recommended the breastfeeding remedy to me had I not suggested it? Only the…

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Why should I vaccinate my children to protect others? Why should I put my children at risk so others are less likely to get sick? These and other questions reflect the ongoing controversy surrounding vaccines—a controversy that has prompted an ever-growing number of parents to forgo vaccinating their children and now threatens “herd immunity.”

Susan Van den Hoff was the first to identify herd immunity and how it affects the spread of infectious disease. In 2002, Van den Hoff found that unvaccinated people in a highly vaccinated community were less likely to get measles than vaccinated people in a community with…

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Most moms would agree that staying healthy and setting a good example for their kids is a top priority; however, keeping up with all those annual health screenings isn’t always at the top of every mom’s to-do list. Help is here—at least when it comes to the annual skin exam (yes, everyone should be getting one each year). The Skin Cancer Foundation just kicked off their Road to Healthy Skin Tour. From now until the end of September, dermatologists will drive around the country in the foundation’s customized RV to provide free, full-body screenings for skin cancer, the most…

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An estimated 1,500 babies are born each year with neural tube defects, birth defects of the brain and spinal cord. While the cause is unclear, research shows that getting enough folic acid before and during pregnancy reduces the risk of neural tube defects, such as spina bifida and anencephaly, by 70 percent. As a result, it is recommended that all women of child-bearing age eat folate-rich foods such as dried beans, leafy green vegetables, fortified cereal, and orange juice and take the recommended amount of folic acid (currently 400-800 mcg) each day. To educate women about the importance of…

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A National Institutes of Health study published in the New England Journal of Health finds that taking vitamins C and E in early pregnancy does not reduce the risk of preeclampsia. Characterized by high blood pressure (hypertension) and protein in the urine, preeclampsia is one of the leading causes of premature birth and maternal death, accounting for 15 percent of premature births and 50,000 maternal deaths worldwide each year. Earlier studies suggested that vitamins C and E might reduce the risk of preeclampsia. But the NIH study, the largest to date, showed no decrease in the incidence of preeclampsia in a group…

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The term “thick-skinned” takes on new meaning when your child has eczema. While no one wants thick, dry, itchy skin on their child’s face, neck, hands, or legs, eczema (unfortunately) is an equal opportunity disease, affecting infants, children, and adults alike. The incidence of eczema (also known as atopic dermatitis) varies widely, but recent data show a definite increase in the prevalence of eczema and other allergic diseases.

Previous studies suggested that breastfeeding might be a strategy for delaying the onset of eczema and reducing the severity of the symptoms in high risk babies (those with a family history of allergic disease).…

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Grin and bear it takes on new meaning when you are pregnant and suffering from an acute or chronic condition such as influenza or asthma. In the past, doctors have been reluctant to give expectant mothers much needed medication during pregnancy, and pregnant women have been inclined to refuse medication offered, concerned about how the drugs might affect unborn babies. Unfortunately, many medical conditions left untreated can harm both mother and baby, highlighting the need to assess both long-term benefits and short-term risks.

In an effort to better understand the risks associated with medications taken during pregnancy, the U.S. Office of…

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