Mother's first contribution to the intellectual child

Breast-feeding

Providing nutrition to newborns, older infants, and sometimes toddlers through milk produced by a woman’s breasts. Breast-feeding is also known as lactation. Breast-feeding is strongly encouraged as a positive and nutritious way to feed a baby.


Some studies have indicated that women with HYPOCALCEMIA (below-normal levels of calcium in their blood) may actually show improvement in this condition during pregnancy and lactation, largely because of the production of PROLACTIN, a hormone linked to pregnancy, childbirth, and breast-feeding. Some women who were hypocalcemic may even become temporarily hypercalcemic while breast-feeding, as may some women with previously normal calcium blood levels.

A very small number of women, however, such as women with DIABETES MELLITUS who have proliferative retinopathy (an eye disease that may cause blindness), should consider refraining from breastbreast-their babies. The act of breast-feeding can worsen their retinopathy. Physicians have also discouraged breast-feeding among women being treated
for hyperthyroidism, although this view is moderating. A recent report in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, which studied 51 infants who were nursed by mothers taking methimazole (Tapazole), an antithyroid drug, revealed that the babies had normal THYROID-STIMULATING HORMONE (TSH) levels as well as other normal thyroid levels.

The children’s intellectual development, at 48 and 74 months, was normal as well.