Hospitals and Healthcare

Caitlyn spent the first months as a new mum filled with anxiety and fear of failure due to breastfeeding issues and low supply. It was an experience no antenatal class had prepared her for.

"We were astonished, appalled and also saddened," said Patti Rundall, policy director of the British advocacy group Baby Milk Action, who has attended meetings of the assembly, the decision-making body of the World Health Organisation, since the late 1980s.

"What happened was tantamount to blackmail, with the US holding the world hostage and trying to overturn nearly 40 years of consensus on best way to protect infant and young child health," she said.

In the end, the Americans' efforts were mostly unsuccessful. It was the Russians who ultimately stepped in to introduce the measure — and the Americans did not threaten them.

There is immense interest in understanding whether potentially protective SARS-CoV-2 antibodies are provided to the baby via breast milk. This is what we know so far.

In recent years, surging numbers of infants have gotten minor surgeries for “tongue tie,” to help with breastfeeding or prevent potential health issues. But research suggests many of those procedures could be unnecessary.

An expert looks to art to shed light on the subject — and remove some of the heat.