Good morning,
I've just looked up a reference for a colleagues and thought I would share it further.  It's about the effects of different attitudes towards breastfeeding by the HCP on whether mothers breastfeed. "Neutral" or even-handed panned out similarly to negative. Not much seems to have changed and there are lessons for all HCPs, not only medical practitioners, especially those doing pre-natal care, conducting classes or booking in. Here's the article, from 1983:

Counsilman JJ et al. Bivariate analysis of attitudes towards breast-feeding. Aust NZ J Obstet Gynaec 1983; 23;208-215.

Below is my summary of the key points, in the 1991 and last edition of my first book, Successful Breastfeeding, written under my then surname (Phillips):

'The attitude of the medical attendant is also important. An Australian study by Counsilman and colleagues, in Brisbane, found that where doctors were pro-breastfeeding, the mothers were more likely to breastfeed. If doctors were even-handed about breastfeeding and artificial substitutes, the level of breastfeeding among their patients was much the same as for doctors who were negative about breastfeeding. A doctor's apparent neutral attitude was as unhelpful to mothers as a negative attitude was.  A doctor is not being "fair" in being neutral or even-handed about infant feeding methods; he is actually supporting artificial feeding by imp;ying (against the scientific evidence) that there is no difference, and no particular value in breastfeeding.'
Reference:  Phillips V. Successful breastfeeding (Melbourne: Nursing Mothers' Association of Australia, 6th edn, 1991).

Virginia

Dr Virginia Thorley, OAM, PhD, IBCLC, FILCA
Private Practice Lactation Consultant and Historian
Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

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