Core competencies in human milk and breastfeeding: Policy and practice implications for nurses

Abstract

The American Academy of Nursing endorses human milk and breastfeeding as the preferred method of infant feeding and has a long history of policy work and publications from the Expert Panel on Breastfeeding of the Academy. The Academy has members who serve the United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC), and our members actively participated in the development of the core competencies for health professionals. In 2013, the Academy endorsed these core competencies for health professionals, further underscoring our commitment to improving the landscape of breastfeeding in the United States. The American Academy of Pediatrics Position Statement clearly articulates that breastfeeding and the use of human milk are a public health issue, not a lifestyle choice (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2012). Their recommendations are that infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months and that breastfeeding should continue for 1 to 2 years or more as mutually desirable by the mother/child dyad (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2012; World Health Organization, 2002). Although 76.5% of women currently initiate breastfeeding (including those who put the infant to the breast just one time), only 16.4% of infants are exclusively breastfed at 6 months (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013a). To achieve optimal health outcomes for children and their mothers, significant efforts must be made to improve the exclusivity and duration of breastfeeding. The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding details specific actions needed to improve breastfeeding outcomes and the health of our nation (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2011). Action items 9 and 10 address the specific need for health professional education about human lactation and breastfeeding to ensure that all women and families receive evidence-based lactation care, education, and support (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2011). Action item 9 notes that all health professionals should be provided with education and training in order to provide evidence-based lactation support and care, and