CrHn3 | 3 years ago | on: Many women struggle to breastfeed. Scientists are starting to ask why
CrHn3's comments
CrHn3 | 3 years ago | on: Microbes that cause cavities can form superorganisms able to ‘crawl’
For dental caries, 6-10 grams per day [1]. Most adults can tolerate 40g.
Diarrhea is a concern at 45g for children and 100g for adults. If you introduce it gradually into your diet, it should not be a problem.
CrHn3 | 3 years ago | on: Microbes that cause cavities can form superorganisms able to ‘crawl’
It is my understanding (from reading Kiss Your Dentist Goodbye) that bacteria is seeded from primary caregivers in the first year of life, and it can be difficult to modify them after this, but it’s possible.
My sister has impeccable dental hygiene and many cavities. Her children have had anesthesia because they needed so much dental work. I’m the kind of person who would floss once a year and never had a cavity until I was 28 and drinking many acidic diet sodas. I started the book’s regimen using xylitol, eating basic foods like chocolate and cheese after acidic foods and drinks, took Florassist dental probiotic and stayed on top of cleanings and have had less problems since. My child is okay so far despite some not so great habits. I get extra cleanings that first year and make sure other caregivers do too.
CrHn3 | 3 years ago | on: Microbes that cause cavities can form superorganisms able to ‘crawl’
Xylichew uses birch and beech resin and has a gum base free of plastic.
To ensure I get an effective amount of xylitol, I use crystals in my tea and coffee. My child eats them with a spoon. Health Garden is one of the brands that uses birch xylitol.
CrHn3 | 3 years ago | on: Microbes that cause cavities can form superorganisms able to ‘crawl’
Xylitol can inhibit multispecies biolfilms [1]. Colonization, from what I understand, is critical in the first year of life and as teeth erupt. Some people have bad teeth and good teeth regardless of their hygiene practices because of early colonization. Artificial sweeteners other than xylitol generally supply energy to undesirable bacteria.
CrHn3 | 3 years ago | on: A hormone may boost cognition in Down syndrome
Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) was made available in the US in 2011. It’s highly sensitive for detecting down’s syndrome. Self pay is now 100-300 USD but a few years ago I think it was as much as 3000. It’s fully covered and encouraged for geriatric pregnancies, which are much more likely to have an extra copy of chromosome 21.
The NIPT can screen for the sex of the baby earlier than it can be detected on a scan, so many women elect to have it done.
The first trimester ultrasound is around 96% accurate at detection of down’s syndrome.
CrHn3 | 3 years ago | on: Ask HN: What was life like before and after a baby
I have a newborn and toddler. For the first, things were chaotic with the learning curve. The most mundane things, like getting the baby in the carseat to run an errand, felt overwhelming. Before the baby, I worked, ate and slept when I felt like it. My parenting style is pretty laid back and stayed that was until my toddler needed more routine. When they were a baby, I followed an attachment style and fed them when they seemed hungry and let them sleep when they wanted to sleep. I've gotten better as a programmer since having a child, but do not have time for personal projects or learning for pleasure.
Contact napping and baby wearing can be helpful to keep your baby happy and sleeping well. Skin to skin contact has benefits for months. I do not do well on little sleep. For the first, I avoided cosleeping until around 4 months because I was worried about SIDS. Co-sleeping following the University of Notre Dame's Mother Baby Sleep Lab recommendations helped me stay rested through night feedings and sleep regressions [1].
Probiotics can help mitigate colic, which is associated with sleep problems, which are a risk factor for developmental and behavioral problems later on [2]. b. infantis is missing in the microbiome of 90% of infants [3]. It's needed to digest the oligosaccharides in breast milk. Feeding b, infantis EVC001 to breastfed infants has been shown to reduce markers of chronic intestinal inflammation by 98% during the first two months of life. The microbiomes of babies are colonized with bifidobacteria in the first days and weeks after birth [4]. Evivo is a company that sells this strain. L reuteri has been shown to help with colic [5].
Taking advice from those emphasizing parenting where both parents share equally in all duties led me to feel like I was doing something wrong as the person who did most feeding and night waking. This works better for us. EEG monitoring has shown that women respond differently than men to infants crying. My husband does not wake in response to the baby crying and has trouble staying up when woken. Do what works for your family.
There is value in all caregivers being able to soothe and feed a baby. It's important to understand what your partner is doing because you both will probably feel like you're doing 60% of the parenting. Relationships can be challenging with a new baby. John Gottman's Bringing Baby Home was a helpful resource for me.
2. https://bmcpediatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12887...
3. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-80583-9
CrHn3 | 3 years ago | on: Study finds link between 'forever chemicals' in cookware and liver cancer
IMO, the biggest risk is infant exposure. Infants are exposed to more micro plastics than adults [1]. Bottle fed babies may be exposed to over 1.5 million particles of microplastics per day on average [2].
We avoid plastic in our kitchen (especially heating it in the dishwasher and microwave) but plastic is difficult to get away from when pumping breast milk. All pumps on the market, aside from silicone hand pumps, have plastic parts that require sanitization after every use.
1. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-020-00171-y#article-i...
CrHn3 | 3 years ago | on: Study finds link between 'forever chemicals' in cookware and liver cancer
It is my understanding that heating edible oils will not produce trans fats unless there is a catalyst to donate hydrogen, a vacuum and a prolonged period of time longer than average cooking times. It is unlikely that a person cooking at home will create trans fats.
Different oils have different smoke points, and heating an oil beyond that smoke point can polymerize the oil and produce free radicals.
Charring foods can create heterocyclic amines, which are associated with cancers.
CrHn3 | 3 years ago | on: Do breastfed children have higher IQs? The answer is annoyingly hard to uncover
Breastfeeding and sleep aren’t mutually exclusive.
CrHn3 | 3 years ago | on: Why women leave tech – and how we can fix it
Are women really so limited that they can only identify with role models that look like them?
CrHn3 | 3 years ago | on: Do breastfed children have higher IQs? The answer is annoyingly hard to uncover
No. There is variability in the nutrients, microRNA it contains, the microbiome and levels of heavy metals.
Diet before, during and after pregnancy can affect the nutritional composition, and it can be low in vitamin D, iodine, iron, and vitamin K. Vitamin D and K are usually supplemented (K is given at birth).
Some women (around 30% iirc, can't find the number atm) do not have B. infantis because of low gut diversity, which is really important for infant gut health and long term immunity. Infants are usually exposed during vaginal birth, so babies born by c-section are at risk for not having B. infantis colonize their gut. Breastmilk can be a source of B. infantis.
Some communities with heavy environmental contamination have had lead levels as high as 41.1 ppb [1]. Baseline heavy metal content for most areas tends to be more in line with formula.
CrHn3 | 3 years ago | on: Do breastfed children have higher IQs? The answer is annoyingly hard to uncover
Breastfeeding seems to have epigenetic[1] and microbiome[2] advantages that are unique.
It is associated with less GI infections, ear infections, asthma, lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol and risk of type 2 diabetes.
1. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261881391_Epigeneti...
2. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S193131282...
CrHn3 | 3 years ago | on: Do breastfed children have higher IQs? The answer is annoyingly hard to uncover
Do you consider breastfeeding to be an environmental factor?
Breastmilk contains the most microRNA of any body fluid[1] and has the potential to modulate gene expression, so there may be ways breastfeeding affects the genome that we don't understand yet. How long a child is breastfed is associated with epigenetic differences in children.[2]
Breastfeeding is negatively associated with the methylation of LEP. Childhood obesity is associated with lower cognitive performance.[3]
1. AAP talk on long term breastfeeding epigenetic effects: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bUeSqPOCTc
CrHn3 | 3 years ago | on: Bad government policy is fueling the infant formula shortage
The AAP and CDC agree that there are no safe levels of lead for children.
> Even low levels of lead in blood have been shown to affect IQ, ability to pay attention, and academic achievement. [1]
Human milk contains varying amounts relative to the producer's diet and exposure. It seems that the mean is in line with the formula's on Healthy Babies Bright Future's report on page 23. The upper range is concerning, especially considering that those impacted are already most likely to be in an environment with high heavy metal exposure.
> The World Health Organization (WHO) has indicated that the mean and range of these toxic metals detected in breast milk around the world are: Pb (Lead) 5.0 ppb (0.0-41.1 ppb), Hg (Mercury) 2.7 ppb (0.64-257.1 ppb), and Cd (Cadmium) 0.1 ppb (0.1-3.8 ppb) [2]
My pediatrician minimized my concerns about heavy metal exposure through food until after the Congressional oversight hearing and encouraged me to avoid use of rice cereal. The information was out there, but she was following AAP recommendations on diet.
I was really grateful for the publication by Healthy Babies Bright Futures. In the beginning, I was buying organic and newer brands, but realized Gerber generally had lower heavy metal concentrations in their samples when compared to competitors.
1. https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/lead-exposure/
2. https://jpnim.com/index.php/jpnim/article/download/040223/31....
page 2
The study says, "Psychosocial stress may affect the composition of breast milk via several pathways."
If I'm reading it correctly, a single sample was taken from 146 women. Breastmilk composition tends to be higher in fats and carbohydrates in the first few weeks of life and varies by time of day[1]. It's highly variable (even within a single feeding) in composition, depending on many factors, like if an infant is sick and their age.
Breastfeeding duration seemed like it may be negatively associated with cortisol in school age children in one study[2]. If that's the case, the best thing a mother in a stressful environment can do is breastfeed.
1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33017792/ 2. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/355137223_Breastfee...