Breaking Barriers: Insights into Complex Breastfeeding Scenarios in a Rural Medical College—A Case Series

Abstract

Breastfeeding is the only most natural and fundamental part of infant nutrition and early development. It plays a vital role in the optimal nourishment and fostering a myriad of health benefits for newborns. While breastfeeding is a natural process, it may also present challenges. Latching difficulties, maternal perception of inadequate milk supply, maternal medical conditions and her medication use, multiple gestation, congenital abnormalities in the baby, cultural and regional practices of prelacteal feeds, psychosocial factors, and so on can be some of the issues (Charantimath et al. PLoS One. 2020;15(5):e0231755). The problems intensify when these issues present at a rural setting with limited resources and many social factors and myths surrounding breastfeeding. With advancement in the study of breastfeeding techniques and protocols and understanding of the whole physiological process up to molecular level has given us insights as to how these problems can be managed better. An interdepartmental coordination and support are needed for solving these issues and improvise the outcomes in the infant nutrition. We present here a set of 9 mother infant dyads who had a peculiar course of breastfeeding and how they were counseled and managed at a rural medical college setting.