Tag Archives: maternal health

Women face enough barriers to breastfeeding — incorrect medication advice should not be one of them

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New research has found that mothers may be forgoing medication they need in order to breastfeed their babies.
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Amy Brown, Swansea University; Gretel Finch, University of Bristol, and Heather Trickey, Cardiff University

The challenges many new mothers overcome to breastfeed their babies are well documented. Despite a public health system in the UK that promotes breastfeeding, many do not have access to the support that enables them to do it. Every day, services are being cut, public attitudes are negative, and this is exacerbated by a culture that does not really understand how breastfeeding works and how best to support it. Continue reading →

Mental health: depression and anxiety in young mothers is up by 50% in a generation

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Rebecca Pearson, University of Bristol

Back when it first started, 17% of young pregnant women in the Children of the 90s study reported symptoms severe enough to indicate clinical levels of depression. This figure was already worryingly high in the 1990s, but in their daughters’ generation it is even more common: 25% of the second generation of the study – women under the age of 24 who are becoming pregnant now – are reporting signs of depression and anxiety. Continue reading →