[The benefits of breastfeeding and associated risks of replacement with baby formulas]. / Beneficios de la lactancia materna y riesgos de no amamantar.

Breastfeeding is the nourishment designed by nature for the newborn and the infant; however its prevalence is nowadays not optimal. The aim of this article is to review the current evidence of the benefits of breastfeeding for children and society, and to elaborate the risks associated with the replacement of lactation with baby formulas. Breastfeeding is a protective factor for several infectious, atopic, and cardiovascular diseases as well as for leukaemia, necrotising enterocolitis, celiac disease, and inflammatory bowel disease. It also has a positive impact on neurodevelopment, improving IQ and reducing the risk of attention deficit disorder, and generalised developmental and behavioural disorders. Lactation can decrease the risk of sudden infant deaths syndrome by 36% and prevent 13% of infant mortality worldwide. Breastfeeding result in direct saving on the use of infant formulas and bottles, and indirectly on associated health costs, premature deaths, and quality-adjusted life years, among others. In addition, breastfeeding is environmentally friendly; it does not leave an ecological footprint in its production and consumption. The use of baby formulas and bottles have inherent risks, because they increase the risk of oral diseases, such as mouth breathing, malocclusion, alteration of bite, and tooth decay. Finally, the intestinal microbiota, oxygenation, and thermoregulation of infants are negatively affected by their use.

Maternal sensitivity and mental health: does an early childhood intervention programme have an impact?

BACKGROUND: Maternal sensitivity (MS) and mental health influence mother-child attachment and the child's mental health. Early interventions may promote resilience and facilitate healthy development of the children through an impact on mothers' outcomes such as their sensitivity and mental health. Play with Our Children (POC) is an early intervention programme aiming to promote a positive mother-child interaction for children who attend three family health centres of deprived areas of Santiago de Chile. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the effect of the programme POC on MS and mental health. METHODS: A quasi-experimental design with propensity score matching estimations was employed. MS was measured with the Q-Sort of Maternal Sensitivity, and maternal mental health was assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire and the Parenting Stress Index. Mean-difference comparison and difference-in-difference method were used as statistical strategies. The sample included 102 children from 2 to 23 months of age, 54 of them participated in the intervention and 48 children were the comparison group. RESULTS: Estimates showed that participation in POC was positively associated with less stress in mothers of children younger than 12 months (P < 0.05) and positively associated with MS for mothers of children from 12 to 23 months (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in maternal depression scores. CONCLUSION: The dyadic early intervention POC may influence mother's mental health and indirectly impact children's well-being during critical stages of their development by strengthening their mother's sensitivity towards them.

Family intervention to control type 2 diabetes: a controlled clinical trial.

PURPOSE: Chilean patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have a low rate of blood sugar control. We studied the effectiveness of a culturally sensitive family oriented intervention designed to improve metabolic control in primary care patients with uncontrolled T2DM. METHODS: Patients with T2DM from three primary care clinics in Santiago, Chile were randomly selected for inclusion if they had a recent HbA1c ≥7%, were between 18 and 70 years old and lived with a family member. Patients from one clinic received the family oriented intervention; patients from the other two (control) clinics received standard care. The intervention involved family members in care and included family counselling during clinic visits, family meetings and home visits. The primary outcome was HbA1c, measured at 6 and 12 months. RESULTS: A total of 243 patients were enrolled and 209 (86%) completed the study. The intervention was fully administered to only 34% of patients in the intervention clinic. The reduction in the HbA1c from baseline to 12 months was not significantly different between clinics. During the second 6-month period, when the intervention was more intensive, the patients in the intervention clinic significantly improved their HbA1c (P < 0.001) compared to the control patients. CONCLUSIONS: A family intervention for the control of T2DM was associated with a significant reduction in HbA1c when the intervention was provided. Incomplete implementation, low statistical power and potential confounding variables between groups could be some of the main factors that explain the lack of difference between clinics in the 12-month period.

Beneficios de la lactancia materna y riesgos de no amamantar / The benefits of breastfeeding and associated risks of replacement with baby formulas

La lactancia materna (LM) es el alimento diseñado por la naturaleza para el recién nacido y el lactante, sin embargo su prevalencia actual no es la óptima. El objetivo de este artículo es revisar la evidencia actualizada de los beneficios de la LM para el niño y la sociedad, y recordar los riesgos asociados al reemplazo de ésta con fórmulas lácteas. La lactancia ha demostrado ser un factor protector contra distintas enfermedades infectocontagiosas, del espectro atópico y cardiovasculares, así como contra la leucemia, enterocolitis necrotizante, enfermedad celíaca y enfermedades inflamatorias intestinales. Asimismo, tiene un impacto positivo en el neurodesarrollo, mejorando el coeficiente intelectual y pudiendo tener una disminución del riesgo de otras condiciones como el déficit atencional, trastorno generalizado del desarrollo y alteraciones de conducta. La LM puede prevenir un 13% de la mortalidad infantil en el mundo, y disminuye el riesgo de muerte súbita del lactante en un 36%. La lactancia implica un ahorro directo en el uso de fórmulas lácteas y mamaderas, e indirecto en costos de salud asociados, muertes prematuras y años de vida ajustados por calidad, entre otros. Además, es medioambientalmente amigable sin dejar trazas de huella de carbono en su producción y consumo. El uso de fórmulas lácteas y mamaderas tienen riesgos inherentes asociado, aumentan el riesgo de las alteraciones de la cavidad oral, tales como respiración bucal, maloclusión, alteración de la mordida y caries. Por último, la microbiota intestinal, la oxigenación y la termorregulación de los lactantes se ven afectadas negativamente por su uso.

Breastfeeding is the nourishment designed by nature for the newborn and the infant; however its prevalence is nowadays not optimal. The aim of this article is to review the current evidence of the benefits of breastfeeding for children and society, and to elaborate the risks associated with the replacement of lactation with baby formulas. Breastfeeding is a protective factor for several infectious, atopic, and cardiovascular diseases as well as for leukaemia, necrotising enterocolitis, celiac disease, and inflammatory bowel disease. It also has a positive impact on neurodevelopment, improving IQ and reducing the risk of attention deficit disorder, and generalised developmental and behavioural disorders. Lactation can decrease the risk of sudden infant deaths syndrome by 36% and prevent 13% of infant mortality worldwide. Breastfeeding result in direct saving on the use of infant formulas and bottles, and indirectly on associated health costs, premature deaths, and quality-adjusted life years, among others. In addition, breastfeeding is environmentally friendly; it does not leave an ecological footprint in its production and consumption. The use of baby formulas and bottles have inherent risks, because they increase the risk of oral diseases, such as mouth breathing, malocclusion, alteration of bite, and tooth decay. Finally, the intestinal microbiota, oxygenation, and thermoregulation of infants are negatively affected by their use.