Hírolvasó

As a part of our ongoing commitment to transform world health through breastfeeding and skilled lactation care, ILCA is honored to welcome Michele Griswold, PhD, MPH, RN, IBCLC as our new advocacy advisor. This position was created in response to requests from members and partners to strengthen ILCA’s position and representation of breastfeeding and skilled […]

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.

Contemporary images of women breastfeeding — from breastfeeding selfies to fine art — celebrate breastfeeding outside the home by displaying visual records of these occasions to a wider audience. From brelfies...

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Background:Breastfeeding self-efficacy has been shown to be a strong predictor of breastfeeding initiation and duration; however, factors associated with breastfeeding self-efficacy in China are unclear.Research aims:The aims were (a) to describe the breastfeeding self-efficacy of parturient women in Shanghai, China and (b) to identify the sociodemographic factors associated with mothers’ breastfeeding self-efficacy.Methods:This is a cross-sectional retrospective descriptive study. Through convenience sampling, breastfeeding mothers (N = 801) were recruited to assess breastfeeding self-efficacy before discharge from the hospital. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the sociodemographic and perinatal characteristics, level of breastfeeding self-efficacy, and correlations between them.Results:In the process of breastfeeding, 52.2% (n = 418) of participants encountered breastfeeding problems, 37.1% (n = 297) perceived an insufficient milk supply, 82.4% (n = 660) reported attending breastfeeding classes, but only 37.1% (n = 297) chose exclusive breastfeeding. Chinese mothers reported a moderate level of breastfeeding self-efficacy, with an item mean score of 3.67 (score = 1–5). Whether or not encountering breastfeeding problems, infant feeding pattern (fully breastfeeding, partial breastfeeding, no breastfeeding) in the previous 24 hours, whether or not perceiving insufficient milk, and main caregiver’s positive attitude toward breastfeeding (ranging from 1 to10, higher score indicating more positive attitude) were correlated with participants’ breastfeeding self-efficacy score. (The correlation coefficients were −0.432, 0.377, −0.364, and 0.353, respectively.)Conclusion:The misperception of insufficient milk and main caregiver’s attitude toward breastfeeding were important factors for breastfeeding self-efficacy. Greater efforts should be made during breastfeeding education and support.

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.

Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) (breast milk feeding without additional food or drink, except medicine) is associated with deceased risk of postnatal transmission of HIV from mother to child.

Prelacteal feeding can be defined as giving any solid or liquid foods other than breast milk during the first three days after birth. It affects timely initiation of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding p...

Although the risk of HIV transmission through breastfeeding is reduced considerably with the use of antiretroviral therapy, infant feeding by HIV positive mothers remains controversial. Weighing risks against ...

The new ABM Clinical Protocol #7 could have just been the revision of an outdated protocol. That was my idea when I received Wendy Brodribb’s invitation to help update the 2011 Breastfeeding Hospital Policy protocol. Being the national coordinator of the Baby-Friendly Initiative in Spain, a member of the BFHI coordinator’s network, and a practicing pediatrician, I […]

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Background:Insufficient milk production is among the most cited reasons by mothers for discontinuing breastfeeding. Medications that can increase milk production, such as domperidone, an off-label galactagogue, are often prescribed. Domperidone is controversial as it is not approved for any purpose in the United States and is approved only for gastrokinetic purposes in Canada and other countries.Research aim:The aim was to update the existing literature on the efficacy of domperidone as a galactagogue compared to placebo when given to mothers with insufficient human milk production. The primary outcome is the change in expressed human milk volume per day from baseline.Methods:The authors independently searched the literature from inception to May 2018. The search included any randomized controlled trials examining the efficacy of domperidone increasing mothers’ expressed human milk, measured via a human milk pump. Both authors independently assessed quality and risk of bias and extracted relevant data. Meta-analysis on expressed human milk volume per day was performed.Results:Seven studies met the inclusion criteria for review; two were excluded from the meta-analysis due to quality grading and insufficient reporting of the outcome of interest. Five studies (N = 239) were combined in the meta-analysis. The effect size showed an increase in the mean difference of expressed human milk volume in mothers given domperidone, 93.97 mL per day (95% CI [71.12, 116.83 mL]; random effect, T2 0.00, I2 0%).Conclusion:This meta-analysis reports a significant improvement in expressed human milk volume per day with the use of domperidone in mothers experiencing insufficient human milk production.

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.
Background:Little information has been documented regarding interventions for mastitis by Australian physiotherapists. It is currently not known if physiotherapy interventions vary across Australian regions and types of healthcare facilities.Research aims:(1) To identify the interventions used by Australian physiotherapists treating mothers with mastitis and (2) to determine the variability in interventions used across regions and facilities.Methods:A retrospective observational design was used. A sample of case records of mothers with mastitis was identified (N = 192). These case records documented physiotherapy interventions for mastitis in hospitals and private physiotherapy practices in Western Australia (n = 77; 40.1%), Victoria (n = 76; 39.6%), and New South Wales (n = 39; 20.3%). An electronic data collection tool was designed to examine intervention variables.Results:The physiotherapy interventions received by mothers included therapeutic ultrasound (n=175; 91.1%), education and advice (n = 160; 83.3%), and massage (n = 103; 53.6%). Therapeutic ultrasound parameters varied across regions and types of healthcare facilities. Mean documented therapeutic ultrasound intensity was approximately twice as high in New South Wales and Victoria than in Western Australia.Conclusions:Regional and facility differences exist in physiotherapy interventions for mastitis in Australia. Healthcare professionals who refer to physiotherapists for mastitis should be aware that interventions received may differ across regions and facility types.

I’m grateful to be part of a community that cares deeply about bringing together physicians to protect, promote and support families so that they are able to meet their breastfeeding goals.

Despite the ongoing efforts to improve infant feeding practices, low rates of breastfeeding and early introduction of complementary feeding have been reported in many countries. Systematic documentation of bre...

Due to the health and economic benefits of breast milk, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that for infants who cannot receive breast milk from their own mothers, the next preferred option is donat...

We here at ILCA® regularly answer questions about whose role it is to provide support for our profession of lactation consulting, for our credential known as the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant®, and for the education that gives us what we need to provide evidence-based care. Like many professions, lactation consultants are supported by three […]

The ILCA Equity Committee, launched two years ago, played an important role in the 2018 conference in supporting conversations around equity, diversity, and inclusion. The Equity Committee provided Lactation Matters with this update on the committee’s recent efforts. Gathering together annually for a time of learning, networking and much more has been a core focus […]

When the federal government funds research in human milk composition, ultimately the fruits of that research are often likely to end up enriching the formula industry, the biotech industry, and the researchers who hold their patents. Most importantly, federal research money spent on human milk composition may mean the government has less to spend on research issues that will help increase breastfeeding rates and improve population health.

Journal of Human Lactation, Ahead of Print.

There is a paucity of data regarding risk factors associated with suboptimal breastfeeding practices in urbanized areas of low-middle income countries (LMICs).