UVA Breastfeeding Medicine Program

10/02/2026

A team of University of Virginia scientists has identified why a common type of delirium that often affects older patients after surgery may lead to dementia, and they’ve proposed a new treatment.

In a new study, UVA Health anesthesiologist Nadia Lunardi, MD, and her colleagues found anesthesia, surgery, and the stress of intensive care disrupted cognitive health of older subject. They also found that vorinostat, an FDA-approved cancer drug, can reverse some of these harmful effects.

🧠 Lunardi spoke with UVA Today about the findings and her work at UVA Health. Read the full interview at https://bit.ly/4hRWXYJ

10/02/2026

10/01/2026

We're re-sharing Sheila Boling’s story in recognition of the first day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Sheila lost her twin sister to breast cancer at age 35. In 2017, a mammogram caught her own early-stage cancer. Now, Sheila works to raise awareness of the higher death rates from breast cancer among Black women, encouraging others to get screened and make their health a priority. 🩷🩷

10/01/2026

UVA Health is expanding its laboratory services in northern Albemarle County to serve more patients and meet the growing need for advanced testing.

Beginning in November 2027, UVA Health's West Complex laboratories and a small subset of laboratories now located on 11th Street in Charlottesville will move to a new and bigger location at the University of Virginia’s North Fork discovery park.

Laboratory services that require the fastest turnaround times – which include chemistry, hematology, coagulation and microbiology – will remain at the 11th Street location near UVA Health University Medical Center.

09/30/2026

According to a survey, roughly 16% of American adults currently take antidepressant drugs – and some of them want to stop.

On Reddit, users seek advice from each other about how to discontinue taking their antidepressants. On TikTok, users make videos about their experiences stopping medications and offer advice on how to handle withdrawal symptoms. Some people complain their doctors never talked to them about stopping treatment.

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced a set of policies to encourage doctors to deprescribe selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, the most widely prescribed class of antidepressants.

“The reality is these medications are very safe,” says UVA Health psychiatrist Anita Clayton, MD. 💊 UVA Today spoke with Dr. Clayton about stopping antidepressants in July. Learn more about what she had to say at https://bit.ly/4hCjBTS

09/29/2026

This summer, University of Virginia doctoral students spent three weeks in Angola, collaborating with institutions and researchers to mitigate the spread of malaria.

Kwesi Forson, a biology doctoral student, and Julia Zulawinska, a biomedical science doctoral student, traveled between Luanda and Lubango to train scientists and health professionals.

“We trained scientists to use molecular methods to do malaria surveillance and track whether antimalarial drug resistance is occurring in their patient population,” Zulawinska said. “We also led trainings on a method called ‘parasite speciation,’ which helps identify the different species of malaria parasites, some more deadly than others.”

09/28/2026

🐝 Our BEE (Being Excellent Everyday) Award is an award dedicated to celebrating the team members who work alongside our nurses delivering expert, compassionate care.

Meet our latest honorees: Kaitlyn McEwen, a surgical scrub technician in the Family Birth Center at UVA Health Culpeper Medical Center and Stephen Pauley, a respiratory therapist at UVA Health Prince William Medical Center.

Kaitlyn consistently goes above and beyond to support patients, families, and her fellow team members. Her exceptional clinical expertise, professionalism, and ability to anticipate the needs of the team help ensure care is delivered safely, efficiently, and seamlessly.

Stephen was nominated for “his exceptional leadership and composure” during a CPR in progress on a pregnant patient. “Beyond his clinical skill, Steve showed remarkable emotional intelligence by recognizing the stress levels of those around him and actively working to de-escalate tension and provide reassurance,” his nominator wrote. “Many providers and staff during the code have since reached out to mention Steve by name for his ability to navigate the situation and maintain professionalism under pressure.”

We're incredibly proud to honor team members like Kaitlyn and Stephen who go above and beyond in their commitment to serving our patient community.

09/28/2026

You’ve probably been warned that if you don’t finish that course of antibiotics, you could wind up battling antibiotic-resistant bacteria. But a growing body of research suggests that the opposite might be true. What does this mean for you and your next sinus infection?

Science Friday spoke with Amy Mathers, MD, UVA Health's medical director of antimicrobial stewardship and an associate professor of medicine and pathology at the School of Medicine at the University of Virginia to learn more.

09/26/2026

"We really want to know the best way to return your form and function, get patients back to feeling confident with their everyday lives, and so really having tailored care where we get to know the individual is critical."

Christopher Campbell, MD, is a UVA Health plastic surgeon. His specialties include cancer reconstruction, cosmetic surgery, and body contouring after weight loss.

04/07/2017

Enabling women to breastfeed is a public health intervention with wide-reaching global implications. Not only is breastfeeding a fundamentally important human behaviour that strengthens attachment and psychological outcomes, but the use of breastmilk substitutes – either exclusively or partially – h...

04/04/2017

ABM Clinical Protocol #3:
Supplementary Feedings in the Healthy
Term Breastfed Neonate, Revised 2017

11/28/2016

Breastfeeding Saves Mothers’ Lives, Too

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Breastfeeding as recommended — for a total of one year and exclusively for six months — could protect babies and their moms from premature death and serious diseases and save the U.S. more than $4.3 billion in health care and related costs, according to a new study published onlin...

11/21/2016

Scientists have long understood that mother's milk provides immune protection against some infectious agents through the transfer of antibodies, a process referred to as "passive immunity." A research team now shows that mother's milk also contributes to the development of the baby's own immune syst...

11/16/2016

Rules acknowledge that parents often fall asleep while feeding and suggest precautions.

09/17/2016

Byproducts of gut microbes in some 1-month–old babies trigger inflammation that is linked to later asthma development, researchers find.

09/03/2016

We just received a donation from baby Felix and his parents! Mom and dad donated 40 hands free pumping bras, 28 reusable nursing pads, samples of ni**le cream and 20 beautiful nursing/skin-to-skin holding covers. All brand-new. :-)

08/01/2016

World Breastfeeding Week

1 - 7 August 2016

World breastfeeding week

07/28/2016

CELEBRATE WORLD BREASTFEEDING WEEK 2016

Help To Bring A Breastfeeding License Plate To Virginia

Thank you for helping us to collect the 450 applications and paid checks to bring a breastfeeding license plate to Virginia! You will receive updates, suggestions for social media shares and new on Virginia groups supporting this cause in this e-newsletter.

07/27/2016