Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Background:Numerous efforts to promote breastfeeding resulted in a steady increase in the rates of breastfeeding initiation and duration. Increasing numbers of breastfeeding interventions are focused on breastfeeding maintenance and exclusivity and based on behavioral theories. Few studies critically analyzed the use of theories in breastfeeding intervention development and evaluation.Research aim:The aim of this critical review was to examine the existing literature about breastfeeding intervention, and investigate the role of theory in its development, implementation, and evaluation to provide future directions and implications for breastfeeding interventions.Methods:This critical review examined the existing breastfeeding intervention studies that used self-efficacy theories (SE), theory of planned behavior (TPB), and social cognitive theory (SCT) and were published during the past decade. Using five databases, studies in which researchers explicitly applied these three theories to frame the intervention were selected. Studies were critically reviewed for fidelity to theory in intervention design, delivery, and evaluation.Results:Eighteen studies were reviewed: nine SE-, five TPB-, and four SCT-based. Most interventions were focused on building mothers’ breastfeeding self-efficacy to improve breastfeeding exclusivity and duration. To achieve this goal, researchers who developed SE-based interventions used individual approaches, whereas other researchers who based studies on TPB incorporated social and environmental changes. SE-based studies were more likely to include theory-based instruments, but TPB- and SCT-based studies demonstrated less consistent choices of measurement. Researchers in most studies did not test the relationships between the proposed theoretical constructs and breastfeeding outcomes as guided by theories. Inconsistent outcomes resulted among the studies due to variations in study follow-ups.Conclusion:Sound applications of single or multiple theories demonstrate a great potential to help practitioners and researchers develop effective breastfeeding interventions and evaluate true impacts on positive breastfeeding outcomes.
We study a preprocessing routine relevant in pan-genomic analyses: consider a set of aligned haplotype sequences of complete human chromosomes. Due to the enormous size of such data, one would like to represe...
Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) has important benefits for both the mother and child. In India, no nationwide studies have examined patterns of EBF in the past decade to inform national and subnational breastfee...
Join Us for the #ILCA19 Virtual Conference! Earn up to 12 Continuing Education Units on the topics you need most.Build the conference you need: In addition to the scheduled sessions, select an credit from our on-demand learning in the Knowledge Center.Participate LIVE 26 – 27 July or watch on YOUR time – 60 full days […]
Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
There is an established methodology for conducting survey research that aims to ensure rigorous research and robust outputs. With the advent of easy-to-use online survey platforms, however, the quality of survey studies has declined. This article summarizes the pros and cons of online surveys and emphasizes the key principles of survey research, for example questionnaire validation and sample selection. Numerous texts are available to guide researchers in conducting robust survey research online, however this is neither a quick nor easy undertaking. While online survey websites and software are useful for assisting in questionnaire design and delivery, they can also introduce sources of bias. Researchers considering conducting online surveys are encouraged to read carefully about how the principles of survey research can be applied to online formats in order to reduce bias and enhance rigor. In addition to alerting researchers to the pitfalls of online surveys this article also aims to equip readers of this journal with the knowledge of how to critically appraise publications based on online surveys.
Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Introduction:During the postpartum period, breast engorgement in preparation for lactation may trigger the onset of vulvar labial nodules that present with pain and discomfort. These labial nodules may originate from ectopic breast tissue and can rarely present in women during the postpartum period in the labia majora.Main Issue:A 37-year-old African American female, gravida 1 para 1, presented to the Loma Linda University Medical Center with complaints of new onset labial swelling worsening 6 days following her full term spontaneous vaginal delivery. Additionally, our respondent complained of difficulty breastfeeding due to intermittent lack of milk production. She reported bilateral breast engorgement with tenderness, despite frequent attempts at breastfeeding. The respondent’s presentation did not meet the criteria for other common differentials due to the physical characteristics of the nodules. The location of the nodules along the milk line led physicians to believe that the respondent was presenting with engorged extra-mammary breast tissue in the labia majora.Management:The participant was told to observe her course over the next few days as she began to have milk production and ejection. The respondent was seen in clinic for her 6-week postpartum visit, and was no longer complaining of difficulty with breastfeeding. The labial nodules had resolved spontaneously.Conclusion:A literature search yielded no case reports that described a case of an extra-mammary vulvar mass that self-resolved with resolution of breast engorgement. The infrequent presentation of extra-mammary vulvar tissue makes it difficult to conclude a guideline for diagnosis and management.
Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Introduction:During the postpartum period, breast engorgement in preparation for lactation may trigger the onset of vulvar labial nodules that present with pain and discomfort. These labial nodules may originate from ectopic breast tissue and can rarely present in women during the postpartum period in the labia majora.Main Issue:A 37-year-old African American female, gravida 1 para 1, presented to the Loma Linda University Medical Center with complaints of new onset labial swelling worsening 6 days following her full term spontaneous vaginal delivery. Additionally, our respondent complained of difficulty breastfeeding due to intermittent lack of milk production. She reported bilateral breast engorgement with tenderness, despite frequent attempts at breastfeeding. The respondent’s presentation did not meet the criteria for other common differentials due to the physical characteristics of the nodules. The location of the nodules along the milk line led physicians to believe that the respondent was presenting with engorged extra-mammary breast tissue in the labia majora.Management:The participant was told to observe her course over the next few days as she began to have milk production and ejection. The respondent was seen in clinic for her 6-week postpartum visit, and was no longer complaining of difficulty with breastfeeding. The labial nodules had resolved spontaneously.Conclusion:A literature search yielded no case reports that described a case of an extra-mammary vulvar mass that self-resolved with resolution of breast engorgement. The infrequent presentation of extra-mammary vulvar tissue makes it difficult to conclude a guideline for diagnosis and management.
Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Background:Breastfeeding offers benefits to mother and child but is frequently not practiced among women whose pregnancy is complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus. Factors associated with not initiating or not maintaining breastfeeding among these women have been little investigated.Research aims:(1) To evaluate the frequency of breastfeeding for 30 days among women with a recent pregnancy complicated by gestational diabetes and (2) to determine factors associated with not initiating or not maintaining breastfeeding.Methods:Between January 2014 and July 2017 we enrolled women with gestational diabetes at high-risk prenatal services in three Brazilian cities. We collected baseline sociodemographic and health data and followed up with participants by telephone. Using Kaplan–Meier curves, we calculated the proportions of participants not initiating breastfeeding or not maintaining it for at least 30 days. We used Poisson regression with robust variance to identify factors related to this outcome.Results:Of the 2328 participants with complete information, 2236 (96.1%) initiated breastfeeding, and 2166 (93.1%) maintained breastfeeding for 30 days. Not having breastfed the previous infant (relative risk [RR] = 5.02, 95% CI [3.39, 7.45]), smoking during pregnancy (RR = 2.37, 95% CI [1.48, 3.80]), infant with health problems (RR = 2.25, 95% CI [1.27, 3.99]), early preterm birth (RR = 2.49, 95% CI [1.07, 5.77]), and not intending to breastfeed (RR = 3.73, 95% CI [1.89, 7.33]) were related to not maintaining breastfeeding for at least 30 days.Conclusions:Breastfeeding initiation was nearly universal among participants, and most maintained breastfeeding for 30 days. Factors relating to not breastfeeding at 30 days were easily identifiable.
Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Background:Breastfeeding offers benefits to mother and child but is frequently not practiced among women whose pregnancy is complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus. Factors associated with not initiating or not maintaining breastfeeding among these women have been little investigated.Research aims:(1) To evaluate the frequency of breastfeeding for 30 days among women with a recent pregnancy complicated by gestational diabetes and (2) to determine factors associated with not initiating or not maintaining breastfeeding.Methods:Between January 2014 and July 2017 we enrolled women with gestational diabetes at high-risk prenatal services in three Brazilian cities. We collected baseline sociodemographic and health data and followed up with participants by telephone. Using Kaplan–Meier curves, we calculated the proportions of participants not initiating breastfeeding or not maintaining it for at least 30 days. We used Poisson regression with robust variance to identify factors related to this outcome.Results:Of the 2328 participants with complete information, 2236 (96.1%) initiated breastfeeding, and 2166 (93.1%) maintained breastfeeding for 30 days. Not having breastfed the previous infant (relative risk [RR] = 5.02, 95% CI [3.39, 7.45]), smoking during pregnancy (RR = 2.37, 95% CI [1.48, 3.80]), infant with health problems (RR = 2.25, 95% CI [1.27, 3.99]), early preterm birth (RR = 2.49, 95% CI [1.07, 5.77]), and not intending to breastfeed (RR = 3.73, 95% CI [1.89, 7.33]) were related to not maintaining breastfeeding for at least 30 days.Conclusions:Breastfeeding initiation was nearly universal among participants, and most maintained breastfeeding for 30 days. Factors relating to not breastfeeding at 30 days were easily identifiable.
Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
The current situation of breastfeeding in China has been discussed in many articles, and a declining trend of breastfeeding duration has been confirmed. The associations between various socioeconomic, reproduc...
The path to equity is a journey, not a destination. I am here to tell you that this crossing may be uncomfortable at times, however, the International Lactation Consultant Association® (ILCA®) is deeply committed to walking it together, with you, our members and the lactation support community. Progress on this passage will be marked by […]
Breastfeeding benefits both mothers and infants. Even though Taiwan national policy promotes exclusive breastfeeding (EBF), the rates in Taiwan are below those in other developed countries. This study aimed to...
Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
