The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

  • Recent Posts

  • Recent Comments

    Updated breastfeeding recommendations

    The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), an independent panel of experts in primary care and prevention, has updated its recommendations from 2003.

    Their review of the medical literature reveals the benefits of breastfeeding.

    Benefits for the infant.

    • Fewer ear infections, lower respiratory tract infections, and gastrointestinal infections
    • Less risk of asthma, type 2 diabetes, and obesity

    Benefits for women

    • Lower rates of breast and ovarian cancer

    Risk?

    • No study has focused on direct harm associated with breastfeeding.
    • The USPSTF believes the risk of harm associated with the methods used to promote breastfeeding is small.

    The bottom line?
    The USPSTF review of the literature can be found here.

    In 2005, 73% of new mothers in the US initiated breastfeeding: 39% breastfed their children for at least 6 months and 20% for 12 months.

    14% of infants were exclusively breastfed for their first 6 months, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), and the US Surgeon General.

    More information on breastfeeding, worldwide, is available at the Kellymom.com.

    10/21/08 11:17 JR

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