Analyzing the Effect of the 2022 Formula Shortage on Postpartum Parents' Feeding Decisions in an Urban Hospital Setting.

Introduction: In early 2022, more than 40% of the U.S. formula supply was out of stock due to product recalls and manufacturing plant shutdowns. While previous studies have explored parents' opinions on formula feeding in response to formula safety concerns and offered advice on adapting to the 2022 formula shortage, there is currently a lack of data assessing the relationship between the formula shortage and parents' feeding decisions. Our study aims to understand how new parents' feeding decisions were impacted in the aftermath of the 2022 formula shortage, in comparison to demographic factors and feeding methods with previous children. We hypothesized that parents may either exclusively breastfeed their new baby when they did not do so previously or breastfeed their new baby more frequently than they did previously due to the formula shortage. Methods: Ninety-nine postpartum parents were administered a Qualtrics survey during their admission at a private urban hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, and answered questions about demographics, feeding decisions with previous children, current feeding decisions, and how influential the formula shortage was on these decisions. Data was analyzed using chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. Results: There is a significant relationship between parents' feeding decisions for previous children and feeding decisions for their new baby (p < 0.0001) but no significant influence of the formula shortage on feeding decisions for their new baby (p = 0.80). Conclusion: When making feeding decisions for their newborn, parents were more influenced by decisions with previous children than by the formula shortage, which highlights the importance of supporting parents with breastfeeding, especially for their first child.

Acute Exercise Effects Predict Training Change in Cognition and Connectivity.

PURPOSE: Previous studies report memory and functional connectivity of memory systems improve acutely after a single aerobic exercise session or with training, suggesting that the acute effects of aerobic exercise may reflect initial changes that adapt over time. In this trial, for the first time, we test the proof-of-concept of whether the acute and training effects of aerobic exercise on working memory and brain network connectivity are related in the same participants. METHODS: Cognitively normal older participants (N = 34) were enrolled in a randomized clinical trial (NCT02453178). Participants completed fMRI resting state and a face working memory N-back task acutely after light- and moderate-intensity exercises and after a 12-wk aerobic training intervention. RESULTS: Functional connectivity did not change more after moderate-intensity training compared with light-intensity training. However, both training groups showed similar changes in cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) (maximal exercise oxygen uptake, V˙O2peak), limiting group-level comparisons. Acute effects of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on connections primarily in the default network predicted training enhancements in the same connections. Working memory also improved acutely, especially after moderate-intensity, and greater acute improvements predicted greater working memory improvement with training. Exercise effects on functional connectivity of right lateralized frontoparietal connections were related to both acute and training gains in working memory. CONCLUSIONS: Our data support the concept of acute aerobic exercise effects on functional brain systems and performance as an activity-evoked biomarker for exercise training benefits in the same outcomes. These findings may lead to new insights and methods for improving memory outcomes with aerobic exercise training.