Breastfeeding priorities most important to parents

A new study in the peer-reviewed journal Breastfeeding Medicine describes the findings of The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) and Reaching our Sisters Everywhere (ROSE)’s collaborative, multi-methods approach to identify breastfeeding priorities most important to parents. Click here to read the article now.

The project had three main objectives: to identify key components of a successful breastfeeding journey as defined by parents and families; to identify research priorities that will enable families to achieve a successful journey; to disseminate findings to promote research efforts that are codesigned with birthing parents and families and reflect their priorities.

The ABM is an international organization of medical doctors dedicated to helping families breastfeed. ROSE is a community-based organization in the U.S. founded to address breastfeeding disparities in communities of color, with a focus on Black families. Participants in the ABM/ROSE program were asked what questions need answering to make breastfeeding easier for families. The researchers identified some key priorities for patient-centered outcome measures and future research in infant and young child feeding.

Arthur I. Eidelman, MD, Editor-in-Chief of Breastfeeding Medicine, states: “The unique value of this project was that it developed a list of research goals regarding breastfeeding based on parental perspectives and priorities. Such an approach, no doubt, will facilitate a more realistic, real-world, translational research agenda.”

Elien Rouw, MD, FABM, President of ABM, states: "We are pleased to publish findings of a collaboration between the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) and Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere (ROSE) in this issue of Breastfeeding Medicine. Our objectives were to identify key components of a successful breastfeeding journey as defined by parents and families and to disseminate findings to promote research efforts in this area. This is exactly what we, as physicians, should do. Breastfeeding Medicine is not a one-way road to tell families what to do. We should first listen very carefully to the families and patients, identify their needs, and integrate what we hear in our counseling and research. This article is a great example, and I highly recommend it."

About the Journal
Breastfeeding Medicine, the official journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, is an authoritative, peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary journal published monthly in print and online with Open Access options. The Journal publishes original scientific papers, reviews, and case studies on a broad spectrum of topics in lactation medicine. It presents evidence-based research advances and explores the immediate and long-term outcomes of breastfeeding, including the epidemiologic, physiologic, and psychological benefits of breastfeeding. Tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Breastfeeding Medicine website.

About the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine
The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) is a worldwide organization of medical doctors dedicated to the promotion, protection, and support of breastfeeding. Our mission is to unite members of the various medical specialties with this common purpose.  For more than 20 years, ABM has been bringing doctors together to provide evidence-based solutions to the challenges facing breastfeeding across the globe. A vast body of research has demonstrated significant nutritional, physiological, and psychological benefits for both mothers and children that last well beyond infancy. But while breastfeeding is the foundation of a lifetime of health and well-being, clinical practice lags behind scientific evidence. By building on our legacy of research into this field and sharing it with the broader medical community, we can overcome barriers, influence health policies, and change behaviors.

About the Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. is a global media company dedicated to creating, curating, and delivering impactful peer-reviewed research and authoritative content services to advance the fields of biotechnology and the life sciences, specialized clinical medicine, and public health and policy. For complete information, please visit the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. website.