News of Interest for Late-in-Life Moms April 21, 2008

In the news:

Motherhood can leave pregnant pause in career
In Spain some are questioning whether Carme Chacon, Spain's first woman defense minister, should be able to take the state-mandated 16 weeks of paid maternity leave, given the importance of her job.
An MSNBC article examines how that kind of dilemma resonates for women anywhere who have jobs they need and value: What do you do when the timing of motherhood clashes with the upward trajectory of your career?

Breastfeeding while on seizure meds doesn't harm babies
A new study finds that mothers who breast-feed while on certain seizure medications do not appear to harm their children's cognitive development. Almost 200 2-year-old children whose mothers were taking the epilepsy drugs lamotrigine, carbamazepine, phenytoin or valproate were tested in the study. Of these children, 41 percent were breast-fed.

Traditional breast-feeding schedule best approach
Following a traditional breast-feeding schedule appears more beneficial for early infant weight gain and is more supportive of continued breast-feeding than a "baby-led" routine, researchers report.
The traditional recommendations-- breast-feeding using both breasts at each feeding for no more than 10 minutes per breast--have been largely replaced by "baby-led" breast-feeding. Proponents advise letting infants feed for an unlimited time from the first breast and that both breasts need not be used at each feeding.

U.S. questions plastic baby bottle safety
A chemical used to make baby bottles and other shatterproof plastic containers could be linked to a range of hormonal problems, according to a preliminary report.
The federal National Toxicology Program said experiments on rats found precancerous tumors, urinary tract problems and early puberty when the animals were fed or injected with low doses of the plastics chemical bisphenol A.