Breastfeeding.

Lactation Program, Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island 02905, USA. czembo@wihri.org

A large and growing body of scientific evidence suggests that breastfeeding provides immediate and long-lasting health advantages for the mother and her infant. In the United States, breastfeeding rates currently are the highest recorded in 30 years, although premature weaning owing to the largely avoidable problems of breast pain and concern about adequate milk supply is still common. The advantages of breastfeeding will be more widely appreciated when all health care professionals acquire competence in evidence-based lactation management strategies. These strategies include helping women to position and attach their newborns correctly, encouraging frequent and effective feedings at the breast from birth onward, teaching new parents the signs of adequate milk intake, and providing the resources for promoting breastfeeding without the competition of commercial product promotion.

PMID: 11892874 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]