Breastfeeding Network Research Articles

Breast is best? A small-scale study exploring knowledge, attitudes, and training amongst community pharmacists about breastfeeding

Abstract Introduction The United Kingdom (UK) has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in Europe, with the last Infant Feeding Survey showing a reduction from 81% of mothers initiating breastfeeding to 0.5% still breastfeeding at 12 months.1 It provides multiple health benefits for mothers and infants, and promoting breastfeeding is an important public health strategy, impacting the future health of the population. Community pharmacists are accessible and trusted healthcare professionals, giving expert advice on medication use and public health. Previous research has found a lack of knowledge and training on medicines use during lactation and breastfeeding-related conditions, often leading to unnecessary cessation of breastfeeding.2 Aim To explore breastfeeding knowledge, attitudes, and training amongst community pharmacists. Methods Following ethical approval from Kingston University and a pilot study, a paper questionnaire comprising 24 mixed-style questions was distributed to community pharmacists in the London boroughs of Ealing and Brent. The Raosoft online calculator was used to calculate the sample size of 110 pharmacists at 95% confidence interval. Semi-structured interviews were conducted using a validated interview guide. Analyses were performed using SPSS software alongside thematic analysis for interview responses. Results Response rate was 75% (n=82/110) and 9 pharmacists participated in the interviews. 47.6% (n=39/82) pharmacists rated their current breastfeeding knowledge as neither poor nor good or lower. Only 11% (n=9/82) pharmacists stated the duration of breastfeeding should be greater than 2 years. 27.2% (n=12/44) pharmacists felt slightly or not confident providing over-the-counter medicines to breastfeeding patients compared to 61.4% (n=27/44) when making recommendations for breastfeeding-related conditions such as mastitis or nipple thrush. Thematic analysis highlighted the need for further research into medication use safety during lactation as pharmacists lacked confidence to make recommendations based on Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC). 50% (n=41/82) pharmacists stated their knowledge was obtained from personal experience. 100% (n=82/82) of participants agreed that more education and training must be provided, and thematic analysis showed pharmacists would prefer a spiralled approach starting at university level, through foundation year training and post-registration. Discussion/Conclusion The majority of pharmacists showed somewhat or high confidence advising patients about over-the-counter medication safety during lactation, but this was reversed when confronted with breastfeeding-related conditions, in contrast to findings from Byerley2 where the majority of pharmacists were not confident about medicines advice. Pharmacists have a positive attitude towards breastfeeding with all desiring further training. Changes to pharmacy education and training are needed to develop pharmacists’ understanding on breastfeeding generally and medicines safety with the need for robust evidence from clinical trials to improve pharmacist’s confidence to advise appropriately,3 or at least to educate pharmacists about specialised resources such as the Drug and Lactation Database or Breastfeeding Network. Study strengths included providing information about an area with limited literature and a reasonable response rate. Limitations included a small sample size in a small geographical area. Only community pharmacists were surveyed but with evolving roles, it would benefit surveying primary care pharmacists.

Understanding evidence-informed decision-making: a rural interorganizational breastfeeding network

BackgroundNetworks are a vehicle for mobilizing knowledge, but there is little research about evidence-informed decision-making in community settings. Breastfeeding is a powerful intervention for population health; combined system and community interventions can increase exclusive breastfeeding rates by 2.5 times. This study examined evidence-informed decision-making within an interorganizational network, including the facilitators and barriers to achieving network goals.MethodsA mixed method case study design was used. The primary sources of data were focus group discussion and questionnaire administration. Data were analyzed concurrently using framework analysis and social network analysis.ResultsKey findings were at the interorganizational and external levels: 1) Relationships and trust are connected to knowledge exchange 2) Need for multiple levels of leadership.ConclusionsThe findings of this study have potential implications for enhancing the use of evidence-informed decision-making as other networks work toward Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) designation and also highlights the potential for network maps to be used as a knowledge mobilization tool.

Public engagement in outcomes development - three degrees of separation

Method Working with three Cochrane Review Groups (CRG); Airways, Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) and Pregnancy and Childbirth we focussed on outcomes for reviews in Asthma, Rhinosinusitis and Breastfeeding respectively. For each group we used a different method to engage; for asthma we facilitated a full day workshop. Working in partnership with Asthma UK, we prepared for this by gathering perspectives of asthma via a Facebook survey, and reviewing existing core outcome sets. Working in partnership with evidENT we gathered perspectives in rhinosinusitis using an online survey and experimented with social media as a way of reaching out beyond their networks as there are no relevant patient groups. We compared survey findings with existing outcomes used for reviews of chronic sinusitis. For breastfeeding we worked with the National Childbirth Trust and the Breastfeeding Network to review an existing online collection of experiences of breastfeeding called Healthtalk (http://www. healthtalk.org). Healthtalk researchers reanalysed the original data for clues to outcomes. These were shared, discussed and compared with existing outcomes used in systematic reviews of breastfeeding interventions.

The Breastfeeding Network.

Established in 1997, the Breastfeeding Network is an independent charity with no affiliation to any product sponsorship. This ethical approach is a positive quality in this age of hidden agendas, and adheres to the World Health Organization’s guidelines around infant feeding.

Enquiry analysis and user opinion of the Drugs in Breastmilk Helpline: a prospective study.

BackgroundSince breastfeeding is universally recognised as the ideal way to feed infants, it is understandable, and at times inevitable, that breastfeeding mothers will want, or be required, to take medication. To meet the information demands of breastfeeding mothers and healthcare professionals, a UK charity, The Breastfeeding Network, established a free telephone helpline to answer queries on medicines in breastmilk. This study reports on the enquiries received by the Drugs in Breastmilk Helpline and user opinion of the service.MethodsAll enquirers to the Helpline between December 2010 and January 2011 were asked if they could be contacted in 2 to 4 weeks to provide more information on their experience of using the service. A combination of telephone semi-structured interviews and email surveys were used depending on whether the enquiry originated via telephone or email.ResultsInformation was gained from 101 participants; 77 women and 24 healthcare professionals. Women reported high levels of service satisfaction (94%, n = 72/77) and healthcare professionals found the information provided useful (92%, n = 22/24). Women used the service for reassurance or because they had received conflicting information or distrusted healthcare professional advice. Healthcare professionals often could not answer questions or took a cautious approach to recommendation (i.e. advised avoidance of medicines whilst breastfeeding); this was often at odds to advice given by staff from the Helpline. Healthcare professionals did not routinely access resources to answer questions, but when they did, showed a lack of confidence in data interpretation.ConclusionsThe Breastfeeding Networks’ Drugs in Breastmilk Helpline provides an important service to breastfeeding women and healthcare staff to make informed decisions on medicine taking whilst breastfeeding. Healthcare professional uncertainty and incorrect advice given to breastfeeding women suggests that healthcare professional education needs improving and that greater use of specialist services should be encouraged.

The impact of peer support training on mothers' attitudes towards and knowledge of breastfeeding

While the benefits of breastfeeding are well established, few Scottish women exclusively breastfeed, as recommended nationally and internationally. Breastfeeding peer support can help mothers to breastfeed for longer, but the training peer supporters receive is variable and few studies have measured the effectiveness of peer supporter training. This study aimed to compare mothers' attitudes towards and knowledge of breastfeeding before and after undertaking Breastfeeding Network (BfN) peer supporter training. This study used a quasi-experimental design to investigate levels of breastfeeding knowledge and attitudes in 28 women, immediately before and after the BfN peer supporter (Helper) training programme. Data were collected using the Infant Feeding Questionnaire. Mothers had high baseline scores for attitude (88.8%) and knowledge (76.4%). After training 78% of mothers improved their attitude scores. The mean difference in attitude scores was 4.9%, which was statistically significant (t = 4.44, P < 0.001). Ninety-six per cent of mothers had increased their knowledge scores. The mean difference in knowledge scores was 10.4%, which was statistically significant (t = 6.25, P < 0.001). This study provides evidence that the BfN's accredited peer support training can improve both breastfeeding knowledge and attitudes of breastfeeding mothers. Peer supporters who have undertaken this training are therefore suitably qualified to provide mothers with the support and information required to make informed choices in breastfeeding and to contribute to effective support and promotion of breastfeeding as suggested in the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guideline on maternal and infant nutrition (PH11) and Scottish Government's Maternal and Infant Nutrition: A Framework for Action (2011).

Breastfeeding support for adolescent mothers: similarities and differences in the approach of midwives and qualified breastfeeding supporters

BackgroundThe protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding are now major public health priorities. It is well established that skilled support, voluntary or professional, proactively offered to women who want to breastfeed, can increase the initiation and/or duration of breastfeeding. Low levels of breastfeeding uptake and continuation amongst adolescent mothers in industrialised countries suggest that this is a group that is in particular need of breastfeeding support. Using qualitative methods, the present study aimed to investigate the similarities and differences in the approaches of midwives and qualified breastfeeding supporters (the Breastfeeding Network (BfN)) in supporting breastfeeding adolescent mothers.MethodsThe study was conducted in the North West of England between September 2001 and October 2002. The supportive approaches of 12 midwives and 12 BfN supporters were evaluated using vignettes, short descriptions of an event designed to obtain specific information from participants about their knowledge, perceptions and attitudes to a particular situation. Responses to vignettes were analysed using thematic networks analysis, involving the extraction of basic themes by analysing each script line by line. The basic themes were then grouped to form organising themes and finally central global themes. Discussion and consensus was reached related to the systematic development of the three levels of theme.ResultsFive components of support were identified: emotional, esteem, instrumental, informational and network support. Whilst the supportive approaches of both groups incorporated elements of each of the five components of support, BfN supporters placed greater emphasis upon providing emotional and esteem support and highlighted the need to elicit the mothers' existing knowledge, checking understanding through use of open questions and utilising more tentative language. Midwives were more directive and gave more examples of closed questions. These differences could reflect the considerable emphasis upon person-centred approaches within the BfN curriculum and, in the case of midwives, the bureaucratic and institutional constraints upon them making it difficult, if not impossible, to take time and touch base with women.ConclusionFollow up ethnographic work is required to assess the differences in the supportive approaches of BfN supporters and midwives in the practice areas. Such research, which specifically focuses upon how the different approaches are received and experienced by parents, is required before meaningful policy and practice recommendations can be made.

An evaluation of the breastfeeding support skills of midwives and voluntary breastfeeding supporters using the Breastfeeding Support Skills Tool (BeSST).

The promotion of breastfeeding has been established as a global public health issue. Despite this global agenda, breastfeeding initiation and duration rates remain low in many countries. The lack of provision of adequate support to the breastfeeding mother is an important contributory factor to shorter duration of breastfeeding. Health professionals and voluntary breastfeeding supporters are in a prime position to work collaboratively to provide comprehensive support to the breastfeeding mother. However, a comparative evaluation of the breastfeeding support skills of voluntary breastfeeding supporters and health professionals has never been conducted. This study aimed to assess the breastfeeding support skills of midwives and Breastfeeding Network (BfN) supporters. Breastfeeding support skills were assessed using a between-subjects design conducted with 15 midwives and 15 BfN supporters in the north-west of England. Support skills were measured using the prevalidated Breastfeeding Support Skills Tool (BeSST), a questionnaire and video tool. Total scores on the BeSST were significantly higher in the BfN group (mean = 42.5 +/- 6.4 SD) than in the midwife group (mean = 30.7 +/- 8.2 SD) [t (26.5) = 4.4, P < 0.0001]. The BfN group has the breastfeeding support skills necessary to provide adequate assistance for breastfeeding mothers. An interagency and interdisciplinary collaborative model is crucial to developing a coherent and cohesive approach to the support infrastructure for breastfeeding women.

The Breastfeeding Network Supportline

The Breastfeeding Network has set up a telephone support service for women, the Supporterline. A single call puts women directly in touch with their nearest breastfeeding supporter, and where this is not possible it gives the phone numbers of the other lay breastfeeding organizations. The service operates every day of the year, from 9.30am to 9.30pm. Early analysis of the calls received indicates that the greatest number of calls are from women experiencing difficulties related to poor positioning, and supports anecdotal evidence of widespread problems with nipple and breast thrush.