The International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) is the educational certification given by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE) to those who arecertified in lactation care和promote breastfeeding. An IBCLC is a professional who is comprehensively equipped with knowledge and skills to extend lactation care to all breastfeeding mothers, specifically forhigh-risk mother-infant dyads.
Currently, more than 34,000 Lactation Consultants exist around the globe. However, this may still be not enough to save countless lives that are lost every day due to the direct or indirect reasons connected to unsuitable breastfeeding practices. In particular, many of the countries that are still struggling to meet their targets of improving children and mothers’ health have not yet prioritized the importance of Lactation Consultants and their role.
尽管孕产妇设施中的许多医疗保健专业人员知识渊博，并为新生儿和母亲提供相关护理，但这可能不符合世界卫生组织的标准（成功母乳喂养的10个步骤）。目前，在医院，哺乳支持是由直接医疗保健工人提供的，这些工作人员在护士，医生和助产士等产妇单位提供。
However, outside the hospital setting, experienced family members or general healthcare volunteers are the only individuals who happen to provide advice on breastfeeding. No specific knowledge and set of skills is normally disseminated within these communities due to the lack of a specialized professional, and thismay result in breastfeeding discontinuation. Perhaps a Lactation Consultant could be the only professional who is dedicated to providing专注的母乳喂养护理和management of the complex challenges involving breastfeeding, to extending its time duration, and improving mothers’ experiences.
The impact of Lactation Consultants: more research is needed
Worldwide many lactating mothers伸出知识和support in the post-delivery period. I personally believe that all countries investing in promoting the role of Lactation Consultants would simultaneously improve the quality of life of the entire population in the long run.
Astudyconducted in the USA about the impact of a Lactation Consultant intervention on breastfeeding intensity found positive feedback from mothers about the perceived support in breastfeeding, postpartum depression, anxiety, and other stressors.
Although an IBCLC is a professional who is highly qualified and trained in Lactation science, little isknownabout theimpact他们创造了母乳喂养社区及其成功率。
Among various other healthcare professionals trained for lactation care, IBCLC is the only one who is certified by IBLCE and requires a最大的小时数in teaching and skill training. There was a significant rise in breastfeeding rates when participants (mother-infant dyad) were exposed to interventions associated with Lactation Consultant support at 6 months of age. Therefore, there is a strongconnection在成功的母乳喂养和哺乳顾问的存在之间。
现在，有机会了解对定义需求并实现母乳喂养的标准化的完全专用角色的需求。迄今为止，一些研究发现，婴儿从乳房到瓶子的喂养做法过渡可能太快了。导致这种不自然转变的许多影响因素都是人生中的社会文化需求，母乳替代品的商业营销以及与产后养育养育相关的挑战。
The WHO’s recentreportabout the “Scope and impact of digital marketing strategies for promoting breastmilk substitutes”, released in 2022 is consistent with declining trends of breastfeeding in developing countries due to unscrupulous commercialization of formula milk. To reverse this trend, committed professional care is vital.
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