Today was a fun day to pick up my mail. Received the BF Position
statement from NAPNAP and a Jones and Bartlett flyer with news of how to
order Coach Smith's new book on lactation education and Current Issues in
Lactation 2002, ed by K. Auerbach. Question: was there a 2001 that I
missed? <http://nursing.jbpub.com> I hope you are all as pleased with the
statement as I am :-) Sincerely, Pat in SNJ
NAPNAP Position Statement on Breastfeeding
The National Association of Pediatric Nurse Associates and Practitioners'
(NAPNAP) goal is to enhance the quality of health care for all children.
To support this goal, NAPNAP encourages nutritional practices that
contribute to optimum child health, growth and development. NAPNAP
identifies breastfeeding as the natural and preferred method of infant
feeding and human milk as superior to all substitute feeding options.
Breastfeeding provides complete infant nutrition and immunologic
protection, facilitates maternal-infant attachment, and reduces health care
costs (Montgomery and Splett, 1997). Additional advantages for infants,
families and society include positive developmental and psychosocial
benefits, maternal health advantages, and environmental protection.
Benefits of breastfeeding are maximized with exclusive breastfeeding for
about six months and continued breastfeeding through the first twelve
months and beyond (AAP, 1997; ACOG, 2000: ADA, 1997; DHHS, 2000: USBC,
2000).
Breastfeeding promotion and support are an integral component of pediatric
health care. Pediatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) should advocate
breastfeeding by providing families with accurate and current information
on the benefits of breastfeeding and eliminating barriers to breastfeeding.
PNPs should have a significant impact on breastfeeding practices by
supporting breastfeeding efforts of patients and implementing strategies
for increasing breastfeeding rates and duration, including anticipatory
guidance and clinical assistance.
PNP educational programs should prepare PNPs for primary, secondary and
tertiary care management of the breastfeeding dyad, providing a solid
knowledge base and skill level to effectively manage the care of
breastfeeding infants. NAPNAP recommends that all PNP educational programs
provide comprehensive, culturally appropriate, and research-based
education and clinical experiences in lactation and breastfeeding. NAPNAP
encourages continuing education in this area.
NAPNAP recognizes that there may be individual circumstances in which
breastfeeding is contraindicated. PNPs should use appropriate
breastfeeding-focused resources to advise women regarding issues related
to breastfeeding, maternal health, and medications.
NAPNAP encourages its membership to:
1. Provide leadership in facilitating an informed choice on infant feeding
practices by families through patient education programs promoting
breastfeeding.
2. Actively promote and support breastfeeding within their individual
practice settings and the community at large.
3. Participate in the design and implementation of local and national
policies that promote and support breastfeeding and remove barriers to
breastfeeding, including in the workplace.
4. Work with birthing facilities to ensure evidence-based guidelines and
practices (i.e., The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative) conducive to
lactation are implemented (Randolph et al., 1994).
5. Support the goals of Healthy People 2010 to increase breastfeeding
rates to 75% at birth, 50% continuation until six months of age, 25%
continuation at 12 months and beyond (Healthy People 2010, 1999).
6. Serve as an educational resource for other health professionals
regarding the benefits of breastfeeding, thus correcting personal biases
and knowledge deficits which may hinder breastfeeding promotion.
In summary, NAPNAP acknowledges the importance of breastfeeding to infants,
mothers, families, and society. Further, NAPNAP encourages PNPs to
promote, protect, and support breastfeeding, as normal, expected, and
achievable.
References
American Academy of Pediatrics. (1997). Breastfeeding and the use of
human milk. Pediatrics, 100(6), 1035-1039.
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2000).
Breastfeeding: Maternal and Infant Aspects. ACOG Educational Bulletin,
258, 3-15.
American Dietetic Association. (1997). Promotion of breastfeeding.
Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 97(6), 662-6.
Department of Health and Human Services. (2000). HHS Blueprint for
action on breastfeeding. [On-line]. Available:
http://www.4woman.gov/Breastfeeding/blueprntbk2.pdf.
Healthy People 2010. (1999). [On-line] Available:
http://www.health.gov/healthypeople/PrevAgenda/default.htm.
International Lactation Consultant Association. (1999). Evidence-based
guidelines for breastfeeding management during the first fourteen days.
Raleigh, N.C. Author.
Montgomery, D.L. & Splett, P.L. (1997). Economic benefit of
breast-feeding infants enrolled in WIC. Journal of American Dietetic
Association, 97(4), 379-85.
Morrison, P. (1999). HIV and Infant feeding: to breastfeed or not to
breastfeed: the dilemma of competing risks. Breastfeeding Review, 7(3),
11-20.
Randolph, L., Cooper, L., Fonseca-Becker, F., York, M. & McIntosh, M.
(1994). Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative Feasibility Study: Final Report.
Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies National Coalition Expert Working Group.
Internal document. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services.
United States Breastfeeding Committee. (2000, August). Statement on
exclusive breastfeeding. Presented at the bi-annual meeting of the United
States Breastfeeding Committee, Washington, DC.
Approved 4/93
Revised 03/13/2001 (Designation: Regular)
NAPNAP, 1101 Kings Highway, Suite 206, Cherry Hill NJ 08034-1912
E-mail: <[log in to unmask]> Internet: <www.napnap.org>
856-667-1773 / Toll free: 877-662-7627/ Fax: 856-667-7187
***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html
|
