Cochrane

What is the issue? The World Health Organization recommends that infants should be breastfed exclusively until six months of age with breastfeeding continuing as an important part of the infant’s diet until he or she is at least two years old. We know that breastfeeding is good for the short-term and long-term health of both infants and their mothers. ...

What is the issue? Babies are often separated from their mothers at birth. In standard hospital care, newborn infants can be held wrapped or dressed in their mother’s arms, placed in open cribs or under warmers. In skin-to-skin contact (SSC), the newborn infant is placed naked on the mother's bare chest at birth or soon afterwards. Immediate SSC means ...

What is the issue? Internationally, exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life is recommended but the practice of giving breastfeeding infants other fluids and/or foods before six months is common in many countries and communities. Why is this important? Given that many infants are not exclusively breastfeeding for six months it is ...

What is the issue and why is it important? Although severe nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (hyperemesis gravidarum) rarely causes death, it is an important cause of ill health with emotional, physical, and economic consequences. Women may need hospital treatment and may not be able to work and it occasionally causes pregnancy complications and adverse ...

What is the issue? Breastfeeding is expected to provide for the infant's needs in the early months of life. However, if the mother is undernourished herself, the infant may not receive all the nutrients they need. Vitamin A is important for immunity and helping the infant stay healthy, so if the mother does not have enough vitamin A intake in her ...

Caesarean section involves making an incision in the woman's abdomen and then cutting through the wall of the uterus. The baby is then born through these incisions. Numerous different ways have been suggested to facilitate the birth of the baby at difficult caesarean section and reduce the risk of injury to the baby, such as fractures and nerve damage. ...

Vitamin D is produced by the human body from exposure to sunlight and can also be consumed from foods such as fish-liver oils, fatty fish, mushrooms, egg yolks, and liver. Vitamin D has many functions in the body; it helps maintain bone integrity and calcium homeostasis. During pregnancy, vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency may develop. Vitamin D ...

What is the issue? The World Health Organization recommends at least four antenatal visits for all pregnant women. Almost half of pregnant women worldwide miss out on this level of care, and this is more problematic in low- and middle-income countries. Why is this important? Healthcare during pregnancy is a priority because poor antenatal attendance ...

Caffeine is a stimulant found in tea, coffee, cola, chocolate and some over-the-counter medicines. Conflicting results found in the literature make it difficult for health professionals to advise pregnant women about avoiding caffeine during pregnancy. Clearance of caffeine from the mother's blood slows down during pregnancy. Some authors of observational ...

Maternal nutrition during pregnancy is known to have a significant effect on fetal growth and development. In our review, regular intake of extra calcium tablets during pregnancy did not improve the number of preterm births or other infant outcomes, except for a slight increase in infant birthweight in the group of women who received calcium supplementation. ...