Breast feeding--the community norm. Report of a workshop.

Abstract

This article reports the major recommendations of the Surgeon Generals Workshop on Breastfeeding and Human Lactation held at the University of Rochester in June 1984 to identify strategies that will reduce the barriers that interfere with breastfeeding. The US Government has actively promoted breastfeeding and has endorsed the goal of increasing the proportion of women who breastfeed their babies to 75% at hospital discharge and 35% at 6 months of age by the year 1990. The US Government is currently involved in establishing and promulgating policy offering professional consultation and technical assistance supporting professional training conducting research implementing service delivery and sponsoring public education on breastfeeding. The incidence of breastfeeding was 61.4% in 1983; however there is considerable variation among cultural groups in this practice with the lowest rates found among mothers under 20 years of age the grade-school educated those with low incomes blacks and residents of the East South Central US. Cultural factors that influence the decision to breastfeed or not include general perceptions of the value of this practice the male partners feelings interference with sexuality anxieties about the mothers ability to produce sufficient milk perception of breastfeeding as non-modern concerns about breastfeeding ruining the figure and work intentions. Conference participants developed 6 broad recommendations. 1st a national breastfeeding promotion initiative aimed at those who influence the breastfeeding decisions and opportunities of women involved in school job training professional education and employment is needed. 2nd public education and promotional efforts should be undertaken throughout the school system and the media. 3rd all health care professionals should receive adequate didactic and clinical training in lactation and breastfeeding. 4th the health care system needs to be better informed and more clearly supportive of lactation and breastfeeding. 5th successful initiation and continuation of breastfeeding will require a broad spectrum of support services involving families peers care providers and community agencies and organizations. 6th and intensified national research effort is needed to provide data on the benefits and contraindications of breastfeeding.