Breastfeeding Education, Treatment, and Referrals by Female Physicians

Abstract

The female membership of the Mississippi State Medical Association and female physician employees of the Mississippi State Department of Health were surveyed (N = 350) to examine their practice-related decisions relative to breastfeeding; 215 (61%) responded to the survey. Discussion was commonly used for educating patients, with face-to-face demonstrations used by less than half of respondents. Female physicians with breastfeeding experience were more comfortable than others in treating sore nipples, plugged ducts, infected nipples, and inadequate infant weight gain. There was no difference in the proportion of physicians with and without breastfeeding experience who treated mastitis, low milk supply, and poor latch. The largest percentages of referrals to other providers were in response to infants' poor weight gain and poor latch; the fewest were for nipple infections. Seventy percent of the respondents were not taught lactation management in medical school or residency. Better education for physicians regarding lactation management is needed.

The education of health practitioners supporting breastfeeding women: time for critical reflection

“…1999; Bernaix 2000; Guise & Freed 2000; Hellings & Howe 2000; Register et al . 2000; Arthur et al . 2003a,b; DiGirolamo et al .…”

“…Embodied knowledge gained from personal experiences of breastfeeding is both powerful and influential with regard to practitioners’ knowledge, attitudes, practices and confidence in supporting breastfeeding women (Hellings & Howe 2000; Arthur et al . 2003a,b; Cantrill et al .…”

“…2006). Arthur et al . (2003a,b) conducted a survey with female physicians in Mississippi, USA, to explore practices related to breastfeeding women and personal breastfeeding behaviours.…”

Hyperprolaktin�mie

“…Es handelt sich in den meisten Fäl-len um eine Infektion des Brustdrüsen-parenchyms mit Staphylococcus aureus, der meist vom Nasen-Rachen-Raum des Neugeborenen, aber auch bei mangelhafter Stillhygiene übertragen wird [1,38]. In vielen Fällen lässt sich mit einer medikamentös induzierten, temporären Funktionsruhe der Brustdrüse der Einsatz von Antibiotika vermeiden [2,21] [37] zeigten an mehr als 700 Patientinnen, dass die Serumprolaktinspiegel als Prognosefaktor für den Verlauf der Erkrankung nach erfolgter Mastektomie herangezogen werden können und dass Patientinnen mit einem postoperativ deutlich erhöhten Prolaktinspiegel ein kürze-res rezidivfreies Intervall aufweisen. Im Gegensatz dazu fanden Lissoni et al [24] bei 250 Patientinnen mit postoperativ erhöhten Prolaktinserumspiegeln eine signifikante Verlängerung des rezidivfreien Intervalls.…”

General Practitioners Knowledge of Breastfeeding Management: a Review of the Literature

“…Further studies and surveys of medical practitioners in more recent years have reported similar results in that proactive support for breastfeeding results in better breastfeeding outcomes. A study by Arthur, Saenz and Replogle [36] of 216 female physicians found that while the majority felt comfortable discussing and treating common breastfeeding problems, they had received little training in lactation management and there was little proactive promotion of breastfeeding in their practice.…”