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A recent study found that components in breast milk, such as melatonin and cortisol, vary over the course of the day. This discovery prompts questions about whether parents should adjust how they feed their babies pumped milk. Jenelle Ferry, M.D., a board-certified neonatologist and director of feeding, nutrition and infant development at Pediatrix® Neonatology of Florida, pointed out that while this study looked at breast milk microbiology, it did not test what happens to babies who drink milk with more or less melatonin or cortisol. “We'd need more data to know if these variations result in clinically meaningful changes for babies (i.e. does the variation of melatonin in milk affect a newborn's sleep wake cycle),” explained Dr. Ferry. Therefore, this study does not alter her guidance regarding pumping and feeding schedules. “We don't have enough data to recommend a change in pumping routine based on this study,” she said.
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