One of the first decisions a new mother is called on to make can also be her smartest. It's the decision to breastfeed. A smart decision is to breastfeed for six months. A smarter decision is to breastfeed for a year. The longer a mother breastfeeds, the healthier it is for both the mother and the baby. Fortunately, for Shelby County babies, the number of mothers making the decision to breastfeed is increasing – up 41% overall between 2004 and 2010.
Eating for Two
November 9, 2011
Nutrition is the single greatest environmental influence on babies in the womb and during infancy, and it remains essential throughout the first years of life. Prenatal malnutrition, for example, has been linked to later adverse health and cognitive outcomes. Likewise, malnutrition in infancy and early childhood is a key risk factor for cognitive deficits, lower academic achievement, and behavior problems.
Bottle Feeding and BPA
March 31, 2011
The health and well-being of children, and infants especially, are in large part determined by whether or not the child is receiving proper nutrition. The nutritional needs of babies are much different than those of adults, but they are fairly easy for informed parents to meet.
A recent national survey of food insecurity across the U.S. identifies the Memphis metropolitan area as the food insecurity capital of the nation.1 This should not come as a complete surprise. One study2 finds that food insecurity is typically higher
