Identification of attributes, antecedents, and consequences of father support may assist practitioners to reflect on current working practices and service delivery models, and offer important educational opportunities for the training of student midwives and other health professionals.

This article presents the findings of a small-scale qualitative study with fathers which was part of a larger social marketing project focusing on increasing rates of exclusive breastfeeding in Brighton and Hove. In-depth semi-structured interviews were used to explore fathers' experiences during the pregnancy, birth and up to the first year. Findings revealed a number of potential areas which may be of use to midwives, health visitors, and other health professionals to increase the initiation and continuance of breastfeeding. In addressing these possibilities, we also discuss a number of practical ways forward and suggest areas for future research.

Although in our study fathers reported wanting to be involved in supporting breastfeeding, it is likely that current discourses about men and fathers as well as more practical worries and concerns may prevent some health visitors and other health professionals from involving them in meaningful ways. Whilst our study is limited in its scope and more research is needed, our data indicates that fathers are potentially a missing part of the jigsaw in terms of breastfeeding support.

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Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is a soluble decoy receptor that inhibits bone resorption by binding to receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand. Murine studies suggest that OPG is elevated in pregnancy, but its role in human pregnancy is unknown. We evaluated the relationship among OPG, bone turnover, and bone density in a longitudinal study of planned human pregnancy and lactation (n = 17; age, 20-36 yr). Samples were collected before conception; at 16, 26, and 36 wk gestation; and at 2 and 12 wk postpartum. Indexes of bone resorption included serum beta C-terminal and urinary N-terminal (uNTX) telopeptides of type I collagen. OPG increased by 110 +/- 16% (mean +/- SEM) at 36 wk (P < 0.001), followed by a rapid postpartum decline in both lactating and nonlactating women. Bone resorption was elevated at 36 wk (serum beta C-terminal telopeptides by 76 +/- 17%; urinary N-terminal telopeptides by 219 +/- 41%; P < 0.001). The tissue source of OPG in pregnancy is unknown. Human breast milk contains large amounts of OPG (162 +/- 58 ng/ml in milk vs. 0.42 +/- 0.03 ng/ml in nonpregnant serum). However, the rapid postpartum decline in serum OPG and the low serum OPG in neonates suggest a placental source. There was no correlation between change in OPG and bone turnover or bone mineral density (P > 0.05), and the physiological importance of elevated OPG in human pregnancy remains uncertain.