INTERNATIONAL
Breastfed babies less likely
to become overweight children
By Jane Bainbridge
According to a new study breastfed babies experience slower growth than formula-fed babies, which could
be a reason why breastfed babies are less likely to become overweight children later on.
USA
Breastfed babies grow more slowly than
formula-fed babies, according to a study
published in the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition.
The lower protein content of breastmilk
compared with formula may account for the
slower growth in the first year and this, in
turn, may be one possible reason why breast-
fed babies are less likely to become overweight
children later on in life.
The study involved five European countries
and was led by Professor Berthold Koletzko
from the University of Munich, Germany.
More than 1000 infants were involved in the
study: some were on normal formula, some
on lower protein formula and the others
breastfed. They were followed for two years.
Professor Koletzko said:
‘These results from the EU Childhood
Obesity Programme underline the
importance of promoting and supporting
breastfeeding because of the long-term
benefits it brings. They also highlight the
importance of the continual development
and improvement in the composition of
infant formula’.
Zimbabwe
More than 99% of deaths in pregnancy and
childbirth occur in the developing world
making maternal mortality the highest health
inequality in the world according to the
World Health Organisation (WHO).
In a joint statement with the World Bank,
Unicef and UN Population Fund to mark the
International Day of the Midwife, it stated
that the number of midwives worldwide
would have to more than double to meet
millennium goals of reducing maternal and
infant deaths by 2015.
WHO estimates that an additional 350 000
midwives will be needed to ensure that at least
95% of the 160 million births worldwide are
BRITISH JOURNAL OF MIDWIFERY, JUNE 2009, VOL 17, NO 6
attended by trained health workers.
More than half of the world’s maternal
deaths during pregnancy and labour occur in
sub-Saharan Africa where there are only 13 000
licensed midwives (out of 250 ,000 worldwide).
Monir Islam, director of WHO’s Making
Pregnancies Safer programme said maternal
and infant deaths had been clearly reduced
in countries such as Thailand and Malaysia
where investment had been made into mid-
wifery and emergency obstetric care.
While acknowledging that traditional birth-
ing attendants—which is where many countries
have invested in trying to improve safety and
health in motherhood—had their role to play
in promoting nutrition and preparing women
for childbirth, he said trained health workers
and midwives are what is really needed.
But Islam also pointed to wider issues such
as employment, deployment, retention and
getting supplies to midwives as being crucial
for improving maternal health and survival.
The Netherlands
Planning a home birth does not increase the
risk of perinatal mortality and severe perinatal
morbidity among low-risk women according
to a survey from The Netherlands and pub-
lished in the British Journal of Obstetricians
and Gynaecologists. However it does depend
on the maternity care system allowing this
choice by offering trained midwives and a
good transportation and referral system.
The seven-year study looked at 539 688
low-risk women in primary midwife-led care
at the start of labour. Of these 60.7% intend-
ed to have a home birth, 30.8% planned a
hospital birth and it was unknown where the
intended place of birth was for 8.5%.
It was found that for low-risk mothers at
the start of their labour it is just as safe to
deliver at home with a midwife as it is in hos-
pital with a midwife.
Mary Newburn, head of research and infor-
mation at the National Childbirth Trust, wel-
comed the study saying it added to the growing
body of evidence showing that offering women a
choice of place of birth was appropriate. But she
said many women in the UK still find it difficult
to access a home birth because of low midwifery
levels and a lack of balanced information. In
2006 2.7% of births took place in the home in
England and Wales according to figures from
the Office for National Statistics.
The study identified low-risk women as
those with no known complications such as
a breech baby or one with congenital abnor-
malities and no previous caesarean history.
But nearly a third of women who planned
or began labour at home were transferred
to hospital when complications arose, or if
the mother required more pain relief such
as epidural.
Spain
The Spanish government is looking to ease
the law so that terminations will be allowed
up to 14 weeks without restrictions, despite
opposition from the Catholic Church.
The law to legalise abortions in Spain was
passed in 1985 and this bill would reform that.
It currently allows terminations in cases of rape
up to 12 weeks of pregnancy, in cases of fetal
malformation up to 22 weeks, and up to any
point if the mother’s mental or physical health
is considered at risk by the continuation of the
pregnancy by doctors. The proposed changes
would close the loophole that has meant many
abortions carried out in the country have
occurred under the latter condition.
Under the proposed changes, as well as
unrestricted abortion up to 14 weeks it would
allow it up to 22 weeks if two doctors certify
there is a serious health risk to the mother or
fetal malformation. If the pregnancy is further
gone than 22 weeks a termination would only
be allowed if a panel of doctors certified the
fetus was diagnosed with a serious or incur-
able disease or malformations meant it was
incompatible with life. BJM
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