Hi, Debbie.

You asked on Lactnet about the Infant Bf Assessment Tool.  It was developed
by M. Kay Matthews from Nova Scotia in connection with the work she has done
to investigate the effect of labor drugs on breastfeeding.  The tool looks at
four infant behaviors that are necessary for breastfeeding: arousal, rooting,
latching on, sucking.  It also has mother record the baby's state before the
feed and, afterwards, her satisfaction with the feed.

Each of the four baby behaviors is rated on a scale of 0-3, so the tool gives
a numerical score between 0 and 12 for each feed.  Thus the baby's feeding
behavior can be "quantified" for purposes of analysis.  That's not so
important for the mother---she doesn't need the numbers, just the reassurance
that her baby is doing well, or is making satisfactory progress---but it's
useful for the healthworker who is investigating the effect of interventions.

I really like this tool because it is the mother who assess how well the feed
goes---and she's the one who has the most at stake in knowing how well she
and her baby are nursing.  Besides, she's sure to be present at every feed!

This tool does not go into detail about the physical characteristics of a
good latch---wide mouth, no pain, etc.  So there still needs to be good
understanding by the mother about what she and the baby are aiming for in
terms of their anatomical connection.

Here are a couple of references.  I hope this answers some of your questions.

Matthews MK (1988) Developing an instrument to assess infant breastfeeding
behaviour in the early neonatal period. Midwifery 4, 154-165.

Matthews MK (1993) Assessments and suggested interventions to assist newborn
breastfeeding behavior. JHumLact 9(4), 243-248.