The Code of Ethics
International Board Certified Lactation Consultants

Preamble

It is in the best interests of the profession of lactation consultants
and the public it serves that there be a Code of Ethics to provide
guidance to lactation consultants in their professional practice and
conduct.  These ethical principles guide the profession and outline
commitments and obligations of the lactation consultant to self, client,
colleague, society, and the profession.

The purpose of the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners
(IBLCE) is to assist in the protection of the health, safety, and
welfare of the public by establishing and enforcing qualifications of
certification and for issuing voluntary credentials to individuals who
have attained those qualifications.  The IBLCE has adopted this Code to
apply to all individuals who hold the credential of International Board
Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).

Principles of Ethical Practice

The International Board Certified Lactation Consultant shall act in a
manner that safeguards the interests of individual clients, justifies
public trust in her/his competence, and enhances the reputation of the
profession.

The International Board Certified Lactation Consultant is personally
accountable for her/his practice and, in the exercise of professional
accountability, must:

1. Provide professional services with objectivity and with respect for
the unique needs and values of individuals.

2. Avoid discrimination against other individuals on the basis of race,
creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, and national origin.

3. Fulfill professional commitments in good faith.

4. Conduct herself/himself with honesty, integrity, and fairness.

5. Remain free of conflict of interest while fulfilling the objectives
and maintaining the integrity of the lactation consultant profession.

6. Maintain confidentiality.

7. Base her/his practice on scientific principles, current research, and
information.

8. Take responsibility and accept accountability for personal competence
in practice.

9. Recognize and exercise professional judgment within the limits of
her/his qualifications.  This principle includes seeking counsel and
making referrals to appropriate providers.

10. Inform the public and colleagues of her/his services by using
factual information.  An International Board Certified Lactation
Consultant will not advertise in a false or misleading manner.

11. Provide sufficient information to enable clients to make informed
decisions.

12. Provide information about appropriate products in a manner that is
neither false nor misleading

13. Permit use of her/his name for the purpose of certifying that
lactation consultant services have been rendered only if she/he provided
those services.

14. Present professional qualifications and credentials accurately,
using IBCLC only when certification is current and authorized by the
IBLCE, and complying with all requirements when seeking initial or
continued certification from the IBLCE.  The lactation consultant is
subject to disciplinary action for aiding another person in violating
any IBLCE requirements or aiding another person in representing
himself/herself as an IBCLC when she/he is not.

15. Report to an appropriate person or authority when it appears that
the health or safety of colleagues is at risk, as such circumstances may
compromise standards of practice and care.

16. Refuse any gift, favor, or hospitality from patients or clients
currently in her/his care which might be interpreted as seeking to exert
influence to obtain preferential consideration.

17. Disclose any financial or other conflicts of interest in relevant
organizations providing goods or services. Ensure that professional
judgment is not influenced by any commercial considerations.

18. Present substantiated information and interpret controversial
information without personal bias, recognizing that legitimate
differences of opinion exist.

19. Withdraw voluntarily from professional practice if the lactation
consultant has engaged in any substance abuse that could affect her/his
practice; has been adjudged by a court to be mentally incompetent; or
has an emotional or mental disability that affects her/his practice in a
manner that could harm the client.

20. Obtain maternal consent to photograph, audiotape, or videotape a
mother and/or her infant(s) for educational or professional purposes.

21. Submit to disciplinary action under the following circumstance:  If
convicted of a crime under the laws of the practitioner's country which
is a felony or a misdemeanor, an essential element of which is
dishonesty, and which is related to the practice of lactation
consulting; if disciplined by a state, province, or other local
government and at least one of the grounds for the discipline is the
same or substantially equivalent to these principles; if committed an
act of misfeasance or malfeasance which is directly related to the
practice of the profession as determined by a court of competent
jurisdiction, a licensing board, or an agency of a governmental body; or
if violated a Principle set forth in the Code of Ethics for
International Board Certified Lactation Consultants which was in force
at the time of the violation.

22. Accept the obligation to protect society and the profession by
upholding the Code of Ethics for International Board Certified Lactation
Consultants and by reporting alleged violations of the Code through the
defined review process of the IBLCE.

23. Require and obtain consent to share clinical concerns and
information with the physician or other primary health care provider
before initiating a consultation.

24. Adhere to those provisions of the International Code of Marketing of
Breast-milk Substitutes which pertain to health workers.

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