Breastfeeding rates have increased in the United States – CDC.

Posted on by

It is always very encouraging to read positive news about breastfeeding. I found this report on the CDC issued in April 5th 2008. The research is done by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys.

In a gist,

Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys

* The percentage of infants who were ever breastfed increased from 60% among infants who were born in 1993-1994 to 77% among infants who were born in 2005-2006.
* Breastfeeding rates increased significantly among non-Hispanic black women from 36% in 1993-1994 to 65% in 2005-2006.
* Breastfeeding rates in 1999-2006 were significantly higher among those with higher income (74%) compared with those who had lower income (57%).
* Breastfeeding rates among mothers 30 years and older were significantly higher than those of younger mothers.
* There was no significant change in the rate of breastfeeding at 6 months of age for infants born between 1993 and 2004.

Human milk is the ideal food for most infants. Breastfeeding benefits infants and their mothers (1). Breastfed infants receive anti-bodies from breast milk, which protect against infection in the early postpartum period, and breastfeeding is less expensive than formula feeding. This report summarizes information on breastfeeding rates in the United States based on data from the 1999–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). Results are reported for the total U.S. population and three race-ethnic groups by birth year cohort.

Please continue reading on CDC website. They have a .pdf format which you can pass around to breastfeeding advocates and breastfeeding moms.

Discoloured underarms or dark patches on armpits

Posted on by

I just watched a whitening cream advertisement for underarms on TV. I think it is good that I remind pregnant moms that some women do get discolourations on their neck (like me), armpits and other parts of the body.

Before I got pregnant, I have another colleague who got it quite bad. I remembered her grumbling about it and no matter how she scrubbed, the dark patches on her armpits refused to go away. It is rather unsightly but then, pregnancy hormones throw us moms all kind of funny things.

Eventually, those underarms pigmentations go away. If I remember, it took several months before the dark patches on my neck disappeared. During those period, I was very conscious of them and tried to hide with higher collar.

So, moms, please do not resort to any chemicals or creams during your pregnancy and lactating period. Bear with it until it is over because it is caused by the hormones upsets.

The mask of pregnancy appears when high estrogen levels stimulate melanin production, and exposure to sunlight makes the condition more prominent. Discolored patches of skin may also develop on the forearms and other parts of the body that receive exposure to the sun. Melasma sometimes is more pronounced with each pregnancy.

(wiki)

Family meals – Thosai

Posted on by

THOSAI
Contributed by Sheela

50g blackgram dhal (ulundu) with skin
175g uncooked rice
75g cooked rice
1 1/2-2 cups water
1 tsp salt or to taste
Cooking oil or sesame oil (gingili oil) or ghee

1. Wash rice and dhal and soak each separately overnight or for at least seven to eight hours. Drain, remove skin from the dhal.
2. Grind rice and dhal together with the cooked rice and water in a blender until smooth. Strain batter through a fine sieve. Add salt and mix well. Leave to ferment for eight to 10 hours. (Refrigerate if not using it for breakfast.)
3. Grease an iron griddle lightly with gingili oil. Pour a ladleful of batter onto the centre of the griddle. Spread the batter immediately with the back of the ladle starting from the centre in a clockwise motion to make a thin pancake.
4. Cook for about half a minute or until the underside turns slightly brown. Remove thosai from the griddle and repeat till the rest of the batter is used up. Serve thosai with dhalca chicken curry.