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Children
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Benefits and Effectiveness of Breastfeeding
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Benefits and Effectiveness of Breastfeeding

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 July 2025 | Viewed by 1806

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Eleftherios Panteris

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: medical data analysis; obstetrics; neonatal care; medicine; biology; metabolomics
Dr. Eleftheria Hatzidaki

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Neonatology/Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, University Hospital of Heraklion, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71500 Heraklion, Greece
Interests: breast feeding; neonatal feeding; special needs of feeding; neonatal intensive care; premature babies; breast milk banks
Dr. Zoi Koukou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor Assistant
Midwifery Department, School of Health Sciences, International Hellenic University, Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: perinatal midwifery care; neonatal care; breast feeding; neonatal feeding; education; neonatal intensive care

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure the health and survival of children. Breastfeeding has many proven benefits and is effective for babies, their mothers, and societies, and should therefore be valued, promoted, and protected.

There is overwhelming evidence, supported by an increasingly detailed understanding of the mechanisms involved, that breastfeeding benefits both a child and their mother. This certainty has underpinned numerous efforts at international, national, and local levels to promote breastfeeding, and after some declines in breastfeeding rates, there are signs of recovery, albeit slow in many regions.

The aim of this Special Issue is therefore to showcase all aspects of breastfeeding practices, outcomes, and follow-up of neonates, infants, and children, and the effectiveness of breastfeeding compared to formula and other types of feeding. Maternal health, family cohesion, and public health and education in relation to breastfeeding are also of interest.

We will consider reviews and original articles for publication.

Dr. Eleftherios Panteris
Dr. Eleftheria Hatzidaki
Guest Editors

Dr. Zoi Koukou
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • breastfeeding
  • formula feeding
  • special nutritional needs
  • education
  • breastfeeding support groups
  • community health services
  • lactation support
  • midwifery
  • public health
  • barriers to breastfeeding

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

12 pages, 199 KiB  
Article
Implication of Exclusive Breastfeeding in Early Childhood Dental Disorders: Large Cohort Evidence, US National Survey of Children Health
by Laurens Holmes, Jr., Janille Williams, Neyha Thompson, Valescia John, Kerti Depeika, Benjamin Ogundele and Michael Enwere
Children 2024, 11(10), 1201; https://doi.org/10.3390/children11101201 - 30 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1425
Abstract
Purpose/Objective: Frequent consumption of fermented carbohydrates and bottle feeding contribute to the development of early childhood caries (ECC). There are no substantial findings on the effects of breastfeeding patterns on oral health conditions in children in the United States. We aimed to assess [...] Read more.
Purpose/Objective: Frequent consumption of fermented carbohydrates and bottle feeding contribute to the development of early childhood caries (ECC). There are no substantial findings on the effects of breastfeeding patterns on oral health conditions in children in the United States. We aimed to assess the nexus between exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months and oral health disorders, namely toothache, decayed teeth, or unfilled cavities in early childhood. Materials and Methods: Design: Cross-sectional epidemiologic design of nationally representative data collected via telephone surveys in the United States was utilized. Setting: National Survey of Children’s Health, 2012 Participants: Population-based random sample of parents/guardians of 24,655 children aged 6 months to 5 years. Main Outcome and Measure: The primary outcome was the presence of oral health disorders (OHD) in children, defined as the parent-reported occurrence of one or more of the following conditions in the past 12 months: toothache, decayed teeth, or an unfilled cavity. This was assessed through a single composite question in the survey, asking parents/guardians if their child had experienced any of these specific oral health issues within the previous year with a binary (yes/no) response option. Results: Among 24,655 children aged 6 months to 5 years, 2392 (9.7%) had experienced an oral health disorder (OHD) in the previous 12 months. In unadjusted analysis, children exclusively breastfed for 6 months were 28% less likely to present with OHD compared to never-breastfed children (OR = 0.72, 95% CI, 0.52–0.98). However, after adjusting for key factors, including maternal health and race/ethnicity, this association was no longer statistically significant (aOR = 1.11, 95% CI 0.79–1.57). Significant predictors of OHD included maternal health (aOR for fair/poor vs. excellent/very good maternal health = 1.79, 95% CI 1.08–2.69) and race/ethnicity, with a higher prevalence among non-Hispanic Black (12.9%) and multi-racial children (12.6%) compared to non-Hispanic White children (7.7%). Conclusions and Relevance: While exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life was not found to be a significant predictor of pediatric oral health outcomes after adjustment, maternal health and race/ethnicity were significant determinants of oral health disorders. These findings underscore the importance of comprehensive healthcare approaches that consider maternal well-being and socio-demographic factors. Future research should explore interventions targeting these factors to improve pediatric oral health outcomes. Full article
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