Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Towards Milk Banking and Lactation Aids – Similarities and Differences of Medical and Nursing Staff in a Tertiary Care Hospital in India

Introduction Lactation education is an integral part of healthcare. In order to recognise and address the inconsistencies in perceptions, attitudes and delivery of lactation care, we developed the Lactation Aids and Milk Banking (LAMB) survey. Aim The purpose of the study was to compare the knowledge, attitude and practices of doctors and nurses about human milk banking and lactation aids and to examine institutional and individual barriers to and facilitators of the delivery of lactation care. Methods It was a cross-sectional study, and the survey questionnaire was administered electronically to neonatal physicians and nurses in a tertiary care hospital in India. Results There were 86 participants, including 54 doctors (63%) and 32 (37%) nurses. There was no significant difference in the knowledge score of doctors and nurses ( p = .61), although doctors scored significantly higher on the attitude and practices score as compared to nurses ( p < .0001). Amongst the doctors, the knowledge score was higher for faculty than residents ( p < .0001), though residents scored significantly higher on the attitude and practices score than faculty ( p = .0002). This study highlighted five facilitators and two barriers to LAMB and also revealed that physicians and nurses have relatively inadequate knowledge about lactational aids and milk banking. Conclusion Lactation education for staff can reinforce support for milk banking and lactation aids, thereby achieving the goal of exclusive breastfeeding. It is also important to mitigate barriers by establishing policies and guidelines in the unit for milk banking and the use of lactation aids.