{"title":"Barriers and Facilitators in Lactation Support for the Preterm Mother-Infant Dyad: An Integrated Approach.","authors":"An Eerdekens, Anne Debeer","doi":"10.1177/08903344241273450","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Breastfeeding offers significant health benefits for both mothers and infants, particularly preterm infants, where it serves as a therapeutic strategy to reduce mortality and morbidities. However, breastfeeding practices are threatened globally by societal norms and systemic barriers at both micro and macro levels. This paper explores the complex interplay of these barriers and facilitators, focusing on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) setting. Preterm infants face specific feeding challenges due to immature physiological functions, yet evidence supports that strategies like cue-based feeding and individualized care can enhance feeding success and health outcomes. For mothers, initiating and maintaining lactation after preterm birth is critical but challenging, with early lactation support and achieving sufficient milk volume being key predictors of success. Partner support significantly influences lactation outcomes, although more inclusive research is needed for diverse family structures. In the NICU, a multidisciplinary approach to lactation care is vital, emphasizing the need for experienced staff and family-centered practices. NICU design, policies promoting parental presence, and adherence to Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative guidelines further support breastfeeding. This paper aims to provide directives for local breastfeeding policies through an integrated approach, considering societal attitudes and healthcare practices. The findings advocate for improved lactation support in NICUs, inclusive language and policies, and further research into diverse familial and gender roles in breastfeeding.</p>","PeriodicalId":15948,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Human Lactation","volume":" ","pages":"539-549"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1000,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Human Lactation","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/08903344241273450","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2024/9/25 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"NURSING","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Breastfeeding offers significant health benefits for both mothers and infants, particularly preterm infants, where it serves as a therapeutic strategy to reduce mortality and morbidities. However, breastfeeding practices are threatened globally by societal norms and systemic barriers at both micro and macro levels. This paper explores the complex interplay of these barriers and facilitators, focusing on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) setting. Preterm infants face specific feeding challenges due to immature physiological functions, yet evidence supports that strategies like cue-based feeding and individualized care can enhance feeding success and health outcomes. For mothers, initiating and maintaining lactation after preterm birth is critical but challenging, with early lactation support and achieving sufficient milk volume being key predictors of success. Partner support significantly influences lactation outcomes, although more inclusive research is needed for diverse family structures. In the NICU, a multidisciplinary approach to lactation care is vital, emphasizing the need for experienced staff and family-centered practices. NICU design, policies promoting parental presence, and adherence to Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative guidelines further support breastfeeding. This paper aims to provide directives for local breastfeeding policies through an integrated approach, considering societal attitudes and healthcare practices. The findings advocate for improved lactation support in NICUs, inclusive language and policies, and further research into diverse familial and gender roles in breastfeeding.
期刊介绍:
Committed to the promotion of diversity and equity in all our policies and practices, our aims are:
To provide our readers and the international communities of clinicians, educators and scholars working in the field of lactation with current and quality-based evidence, from a broad array of disciplines, including the medical sciences, basic sciences, social sciences and the humanities.
To provide student and novice researchers, as well as, researchers whose native language is not English, with expert editorial guidance while preparing their work for publication in JHL.
In each issue, the Journal of Human Lactation publishes original research, original theoretical and conceptual articles, discussions of policy and practice issues, and the following special features:
Advocacy: A column that discusses a ‘hot’ topic in lactation advocacy
About Research: A column focused on an in-depth discussion of a different research topic each issue
Lactation Newsmakers: An interview with a widely-recognized outstanding expert in the field from around the globe
Research Commentary: A brief discussion of the issues raised in a specific research article published in the current issue
Book review(s): Reviews written by content experts about relevant new publications
International News Briefs: From major international lactation organizations.