Single Issue 1 - 2025

Dear Members, Dear Colleagues,

The nonverbal communication of infants often presents chal lenges for parents. When unable to soothe their baby’s crying and fussiness, parents often embark on an intense search for explanations. Unfortunately, much of the common advice is not scientifically based and may even be counterproductive to the breastfeeding relationship. In this issue of Lactation & Breastfeeding, we therefore explore the topic of ‘The Fussy Infant” and examine from different perspectives how we, as lactation consultants, can competently support parents. Our editorial team member Andrea Hemmelmayr pre sents a guide for systematic problem-solving in lactation consulting with her overview article “The Fussy Baby – a Challenge in Breastfeeding Counselling?”. Asta Vilpišausk ienė looks at the biological and social functions of infant crying and shows how strongly cultural imprints influence the response of caregivers and the duration of infant cry ing. Adina Popov highlights the key role of infant reflexes in breastfeeding, explaining how disruptions of these sensitive mechanisms can lead to fussiness at the breast. In her article, Verena Heu critically examines the widespread belief that the mother’s diet can cause colic in infants. Finally, Andrea Hem melmayr’s handout entitled “Inconsolable Babies” rounds off this important topic. This issue also features an exciting case report on a heart warming approach to solving breastfeeding problems with an orangutan mother at Dublin Zoo. An article on a highly topical scientific issue completes this edition: The Irish team of authors Niamh Vickers, Anne Matthews and Gillian Paul look at both the opportunities and risks of the growing prac tice of informal human milk sharing. As the days grow noticeably longer, we hope they will bring you not only more sunlight but also plenty of time for enrich ing reading!