Victorian
Breastfeeding
Guidelines
Assoc Prof Lisa Amir
Ms Anita Moorhead
MCH Conference
18 September 2014
Victorian Breastfeeding Guidelines
Victorian Breastfeeding Guidelines
•
•
•
•
•
•
Review commenced 2011
Consistent with NHMRC
Consult
Rewrite
NHMRC- delayed release
Publish – 2014
Victorian Breastfeeding Guidelines
Aims
• align with current international evidence
and guidelines regarding breastfeeding,
infant feeding, and the provision of
breastfeeding advice and support to parents
• be consistent with the revised National Health and Medical
Research Council’s Infant Feeding Guidelines for Health
Workers
• be informed and reviewed by experts in the field
• meet the information needs of the target audiences
including MCH Service staff, midwifery staff and other
health practitioners
• include guidance pertaining to breastfeeding and smoking,
alcohol and drug use, and HIV and Hepatitis infected
breastfeeding mothers.
Victorian Breastfeeding Guidelines
• The Victorian Breastfeeding Guidelines are designed to
be used in conjunction with the National Health and
Medical Research Council, Infant Feeding Guidelines –
Information for Health Workers (2012).
• For some breastfeeding conditions
the Victorian Breastfeeding Guidelines
will provide detailed advice and guidance
that will be a concise and useful resource
for health professionals.
Victorian Breastfeeding Guidelines
Review process:
• Public forum
• Key consultations
• Advisory panel
• Literature review
Victorian Breastfeeding Guidelines Review
Public Forum
Royal Women’s Hospital
Conference Centre
21 July 2011
Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development,
Royal Women’s Hospital and
Mother & Child Health Research,
La Trobe University
Victorian Breastfeeding Guidelines
How breastfeeding works – updated physiology
Breastfeeding advice during pregnancy
Establishing breastfeeding – guidance for best
practice
• Skin to skin
• The first breastfeed
• Natural pattern of breastfeeding
• Rooming in
• Monitoring infant’s progress
Victorian Breastfeeding Guidelines
Routine breastfeeding assessment – for mother and baby
• History taking and examination
• Nipple issues
• Breast issues- including mastitis guidance
• Milk supply issues
• Maternal illness and breastfeeding
Infant-related breastfeeding issues
• Preterm and care of the late preterm baby in the
maternity setting
• Multiples
• Unsettled
Victorian Breastfeeding Guidelines
Alternative methods of infant feeding when breastfeeding is
not possible
• Expressing and storage, infant formula feeding, donor milk
and breast milk banks
Continuing breastfeeding
• Breastfeeding and sexuality
• Return to paid employment
• Medicines and drug & alcohol
• Websites about pregnancy and parenting
• Diet
• Breastfeeding and solids
Community support and information services
DEECD Breastfeeding resources
•
•
•
•
•
Australian National Breastfeeding Strategy 2010 - 2015 - recognises the importance of
breastfeeding and provides a framework for priorities and action for Australian governments
at all levels
Victorian Breastfeeding Guidelines​ (pdf - 989.34kb) - a source of evidenced-based
breastfeeding information for health professionals
Breastfeeding in Victoria: Report 2010 (pdf - 1.36mb) - part of the Victorian Breastfeeding
Research Project
Increased Rate of Breastfeeding - the Catalogue of Evidence 2008 on breastfeeding
Giving Breastfeeding a Boost 2005 - community-based approaches to improving
breastfeeding rates literature review
Telephone support
• Maternal and Child Health Line - available 24 hours a day on 13baby or 132229.
• Mum to Mum - a 24 hour breastfeeding helpline, available on 1800 mum 2 mum or
1800 686 2 686
Web links
• Australian Breastfeeding Association - provides a range of support and information on
breastfeeding
• Raising Children Network - offers lots of information on breastfeeding
• Better Health Channel - provides health and medical information to improve health and
wellbeing including breastfeeding
• Having a Baby in Victoria - provides information and options on maternity care available
• Information designed to specifically support Indigenous families:
• Australian Indigenous Health Info Net - health promotion resources
Victorian Breastfeeding Guidelines
• Victorian women receive perinatal care from a range of
health professionals that include midwives, general
practitioners, nurses, obstetricians, paediatricians, and
maternal and child health nurses.
• Women often describe breastfeeding information and
advice as inconsistent.
• These guidelines are a source of evidence-based
breastfeeding information for health professionals to
use when working with women and their families
during the continuum of breastfeeding.
Advisory panel
Member
Representing
Member
Representing
Vickie Veitch
Dr Jenny Proimos
DEECD
Dr Kylie Blackwell
Community
Paediatrician
Paediatrician /DEECD
Chris Scott
Midwife/ private sector
Helen Adams
Lactation Consultant
Gene-Anne Curtin
Consumer
Pam Heselev
MCHN/ IBCLC
Assoc Prof Sue Jacobs
Neonatologist
Jenny Roberts
Lactation Consultant
Leva Azadi
Dietician /Dept. Health
Meg Jarvis
Lactation Consultant
Dr Jenni James
IBCLC/Academic/Midwife
Joanne Gilbert
Regional Midwife
Dr Anita Bearzatto
GP/IBCLC
Kerri McEgan
Lactation Consultant
Milk Banking
Kate Mortensen
Australian Breastfeeding
Association
Nanette Shone
Australian Breastfeeding
Association
Victorian Breastfeeding Guidelines
Distribution
• MCHN’s
• Maternity services
• General Practitioners - RACGP
• Online! – DEECD
http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/ch
ildhood/Victorian%20Breastfeeding%20Guidelin
es%20FINAL%2020140730.pdf
Victorian Breastfeeding Guidelines
Anita Moorhead and Associate Professor Lisa Amir
would like to recognise the key writers and
contributors and DEECD collaborators:
• Judith Russell, Ruth Berkowitz and Fiona
McLardie-Hore.
• Mary Caruana, Jennifer Halliday and Manjri Raval.
DEECD: Anne Colahan, Karene Fairbairn, Jenny
Proimos, Claire Leske