System challenges in the fields of clinical breastfeeding and lactation support (breastfeeding medicine, lactation consultancy)
Rethinking clinical breastfeeding and lactation support
Video 1
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Advances in the field of breastfeeding medicine and lactation consultancy over the past two decades
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What do women tell us are the obstacles to breastfeeding?
If we look objectively at the research, the marketing practices of commercial milk formula companies are no longer particularly relevant to reasons women introduce formula in high income countries.
If breastfeeding works for them, the research tells us that parents in high income countries want to give their baby breast milk. Until health professionals have research-based clinical skills which are effective in preventing or resolving the problems women face when they try to breastfeed, formula companies will continue to benefit.
Video 2
What are the main obstacles to infants receiving breast milk in high income countries?
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Inadequate investment by government in provision of human milk banks
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Relative lack of research-based interventions for clinical breastfeeding and lactation problems
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Overmedicalisation, paramedicalisation, overtreatment.
These obstacles explain why some infants aren't receiving human milk or are not exclusively human milk fed - again, not the marketing practices of commercial milk formula companies.
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