http://www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/abstract/104/3/e28
This is the URL of an article in the Sept edition of Pediatrics titled
"Health system factors contributing to breastfeeding success". You can read
the whole article on this site. I've just had a quick look, but I am
wondering about their definition of "breastfeeding success". "Success was
determined by the based on each mother's initial estimate of the planned
duration of breastfeeding". So, if the mother said she wanted to feed for 3
weeks and she did - they say she "breastfed successfully".
This is worrying to me, as WHO and BFHI use the term "successful
breastfeeding" - but are certainly not aiming at feeding for 3 weeks or even
8 weeks (the time when the final interview was conducted in this study).
Another concern is their view of lactation consultants. "One of the
surprising results from our study was that <50% of the mothers had seen a
lactation consultant for breastfeeding support, although all of the
institutions studied had such a service available". Where did they get the
idea that all breastfeeding women need to see a LC? Surely the hospital LC
is teaching all the midwives / nurses how to help mothers breastfeed and the
LC only needs to see the difficult ones?
If anyone wants to send a reply to this - please read the article yourself,
and aim for brief response.
Lisa Amir
MBBS, MMed, IBCLC in Melbourne, Australia

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