Pamela,

< We are looking for an educational tool for staff on
Nipple Assessment.  Does anyone have anything like this? We are making
strides with the staff,  to actually ask mom's how they think
breastfeeding
is going, but often times they are not even looking at these nipples and
many times we are seeing a patient that has had a bad latch all night or
afternoon and were unaware that their nipples should not look or feel
like
they do. >

Nipple assessment is a nebulous subject.
Nipple-areolar assessment is more so. There are various opinions and
methods.

I presume from your post that you are referring to postnatal nipple
assessment? A nipple "type" assessment? An assessment of nipple function?
An assessment of nipple-areolar pain? An assessment that correlates
damage with latch problem?

Please be a little more specific about when and why the assessment is
going to be done, and by whom, and what then do you need about what to do
about the findings??

There are those who do not "believe in nipple assessment", at least
prenatally. I am not one of them ;-)

I think that without realizing it, there are many for whom it ends by
"eyeballing", done for visual assessment. But there is certainly more
than one dimension to nipples. "Nipple-areolar function" seems to me to
be more meaningful. This requires palpation, and this turns some people
off, mothers as well as staff.

Tell us more about what it is you are seeking, and please share some of
what you have already come up with.

Jean
*****************
K. Jean Cotterman RNC, IBCLC
Dayton, Ohio USA

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