The education of health practitioners supporting breastfeeding women: time for critical reflection

Abstract

The protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding has now become a major international priority as emphasized in the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding. Health practitioners, such as midwives, nurses and doctors, have a key role to play in providing support to breastfeeding women. This paper provides a critical discussion of educational requirements of health practitioners to equip them for their supportive role. The effective integration of embodied, vicarious, practice-based and theoretical knowledge requires opportunities for deep critical reflection. This approach should facilitate personal reflection and critical engagement with broader socio-political issues, thus allowing for collective understandings and change. Practitioners also need to understand breastfeeding as a biopsychosocial process that is dynamic, relational and changes over time. Recommendations are outlined with regards to multidisciplinary undergraduate education; mentorship schemes with knowledgeable role models supporting student practitioners; involvement of voluntary and peer supporters; post-registration education; setting of national standards for breastfeeding education; tailored education for specific groups; designated funding; and involvement of breastfeeding specialists.

Alien knowledge: Preparing student midwives for learning about infant feeding—Education practice at a UK university

“…It is difficult to quantify these because there is currently a lack of research relating specifically to the existing attitudes of new student midwives at the beginning of an infant feeding education programme. However, Dykes (2006) has identified that, among qualified midwives, personal and vicarious experiences of breastfeeding might have more influence on attitudes to the subject than cognitive knowledge. As such, those who do not feel positive about breastfeeding education might not be keen to attend sessions (Smale et al, 2006) or might demonstrate 'resentment' when required to do so (Burt et al, 2006).…”

General Practitioners Knowledge of Breastfeeding Management: a Review of the Literature

“…This finding was for practitioners actively working in their chosen health professions. While Dykes' paper [18] identified, and Brodribb [17] surveyed current courses in Australia, they both statethat there is no consistent multidisciplinary education model available. Renfrew's study [30] found that interactive networks and partnerships across disciplines and organisations were needed to enhance educational opportunities and staff development.…”

“…These were biases that will need to be considered in future research. The majority of the works noted in this review have differentiated between male and female health practitioners, [9,15,18,19,34] which has highlighted both experiential and gender biases. However, further research is needed to clarify whether male medical practitioners feel less comfortable working with breastfeeding mothers than their female colleagues.…”

“…A small number of published studies, which included an educational component, were identified in the literature A Review of the Literature search [18][19][20][21][22]. Apart from Ingram's study, this body of research was reported in an issue of Maternal and Child Nutrition (October 2006) and was published as a special issue dedicated to exploring breastfeeding training and support for health professionals.…”

“…This survey suggests that there is potential for significant impact on breastfeeding rates where there is sound knowledge about breastfeeding management. McFadden and colleagues described the need for ongoing national, multidisciplinary, breastfeeding education program to improve breastfeeding outcomes., Dykes [18] critical discussion of educational requirements of health practitioners looked specifically at current education of health professionals. From the discussion, recommendations were made for the development of national standards for breastfeeding education, coherent multidisciplinary undergraduate education, tailored for specific health professional groups, and highlighted the need to bring volunteer groups into the learning process and opportunities for counselling skill development.…”