Promotion of Breastfeeding

Breast milk is the optimal food for infants. In its policy statement on Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk, the American Academy of Pediatrics states "Pediatricians and other health care professionals should recommend human milk for all infants in whom breastfeeding is not specifically contraindicated and provide parents with complete, current information on the benefits and techniques of breastfeeding to ensure that their feeding decision is a fully informed one."

As a health care provider, you are an important source of information for pregnant women and new parents. Your support can make a difference in a woman's decision to continue breastfeeding. Some ways you can help:

• Encourage and support mothers in your practice to believe that they can breastfeed successfully, and connect them with resources (lactation consultants, WIC clinics, peer counselors) to make sure they have support in resolving any issues that come up.
• Be sure you and your staff have up-to-date training in supporting nursing mothers and babies.
• Provide information about the benefits of breastfeeding, and encourage the mother to make a conscious choice ahead of time to breastfeed her baby.
• If issues do arise, provide a clear management timetable that supports resolving them and continuing to breastfeed when possible.

Relevant journal articles

• "Breastfeeding and later cognitive and academic outcomes," American Academy of Pediatrics.http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/cgi/content/abstract/101/1/e9
• "Effect of breastfeeding support from different sources on mothers' decisions to breastfeed," Journal of Human Lactation.http://jhl.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/10/3/157
• "Breastfeeding and the risk of bronchial asthma in childhood," Journal of Pediatrics.http://www.jpeds.com/article/S0022-3476(01)24448-5/abstract
• "Breastfeeding and health professional encouragement," Journal of Human Lactation.http://jhl.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/14/4/305
• "Breastfeeding and childhood obesity: a systematic review," International Journal of Obesity.http://www.nature.com/ijo/journal/v28/n10/abs/0802758a.html
• "Duration of breastfeeding and risk of overweight: a meta-analysis," American Journal of Epidemiology.http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/162/5/397.abstract
• "Breastfeeding and allergic disease," European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1034/j.1398-9995.2003.00264.x/abstract

The Maine WIC Nutrition Program provides whole milk for children age 12 to 23 months. Recommendations of the Expert Panel on Blood Cholesterol Levels in Children and Adolescents (National Cholesterol Education Program/NIH), The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition, and The American Heart Association Nutrition Committee state that fat and cholesterol should not be restricted during the first two years of life (AAP, Pediatric Nutrition Handbook, 1993, page 44; NIH, Report of the Expert panel on Blood Cholesterol Levels in Children and Adolescents, 1991, page 1)

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