Breastfeeding Month Spotlight: Experts unite to tackle a quiet lactation crisis
It began as a conversation in Chicago last fall among a group of researchers who shared a persistent question: Why do so many mothers struggle to provide exclusive breast milk feedings to their infants? During August, which is National Breastfeeding Month in the U.S., we focus on a group of researchers, including several from the UF College of Nursing, who are working to provide clearer answers.
More than half of breastfeeding mothers — about 55% — are not able to successfully provide exclusive breast milk feedings to their babies for the first three months, according to past research, which is far below recommendations by international and national health organizations.
That Chicago conversation culminated in the recently published special issue of Breastfeeding Medicine, featuring eight articles aimed at advancing the biological, social and systemic factors that impact breastfeeding.
Leslie Parker, Ph.D., APRN, a UF College of Nursing professor and associate dean for research, was among the featured experts and was the issue’s co-editor.
“We need to stop lamenting about an undesired situation after the fact and focus our attention where it should be with the aid of the framework provided by Drs. Paula Meier and Leslie Parker and their colleagues in this landmark special issue,” wrote Arthur Eidelman, editor-in-chief of Breastfeeding Medicine. “Simply put, the war to support breastfeeding is already being lost in the immediate weeks and months after the birth of the infant.”
The group’s work was funded and supported by Medela AG, a breast pump company, which allowed the team — from disciplines that span nursing, genetics, microbiology and clinical practice — to collaborate.
Each article focuses on different aspects of lactation challenges. Parker highlighted her decades of research focused on optimizing lactation in mothers of preterm infants and infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit.
“There is a switch that turns milk production on in a mother’s body. But for some women, this process is delayed, and thus they may not produce enough milk for their babies,” Parker said. “This delay is especially significant for mothers who have complications during childbirth. In these cases, their milk might come in slower than expected, and this can affect their long-term milk production.”