Elsevier

Academic Pediatrics

Volume 11, Issue 1, January–February 2011, Pages 75-79
Academic Pediatrics

Support for Parent
Breastfeeding Education and Support Services Offered to Pediatric Residents in the US

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2010.11.002Get rights and content

Abstract

Objective

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) encourages pediatricians to support the practice of breastfeeding and residency educators to develop formal curricula in breastfeeding education. Few studies, however, describe breastfeeding education or support services currently provided to pediatric residents in the United States. The goals of this study were to investigate breastfeeding training offered during 3-year pediatric residency programs and to describe residency programs’ policies and services for residents who breastfeed.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study using a Web-based survey of pediatric program directors regarding breastfeeding education and support services for residents.

Results

Seventy percent of program directors (132 of 189) completed the survey, with 77.3% of respondents (n = 102) estimating the amount of breastfeeding education offered to their pediatric residents. Residents are provided with a median total of 9.0 hours of breastfeeding training over 3 years, primarily in continuity clinic and in lectures and rounds with attendings. At the programs’ primary teaching hospitals, breastfeeding residents are provided breastfeeding rooms (67.0%), breast pumps (75.3%), and breast milk storage facilities (87.6%). Only 10 programs reported having an official policy to accommodate breastfeeding residents.

Conclusions

Pediatric residents receive approximately 3 hours of breastfeeding training per year. In addition, there is less than universal implementation by residency programs of AAP recommendations for supporting breastfeeding in the workplace. Pediatric residency programs should find ways to improve and assess the quality of breastfeeding education and workplace support to better role model this advocacy standard.

Section snippets

Design

This cross-sectional study used a Web-based survey to explore breastfeeding education and support offered by pediatric residency programs in the United States.

Subjects and Setting

All program directors who were members of the Association of Pediatric Program Directors (APPD) list serv on July 1, 2006 (n = 189), were eligible to participate in this study. The APPD is an organization of pediatric program directors, department chairs, associate directors, and coordinators of pediatric residency programs dedicated

Description of Residency Programs

A total of 132 (69.8%) program directors completed the survey. Respondents reported a mean average program size of 49 residents (range, 3–140) with approximately two thirds of all residents being female (67.8%). Programs were predominantly located in urban and metropolitan settings (53.8% and 28.8%, respectively). Approximately 36% of the primary teaching hospitals were reported to be Baby Friendly Hospitals as defined by the World Health Organization. Verification of this status was not

Discussion

In our study, most pediatric program directors reported that they offer pediatric residents some type of breastfeeding education, approximately 3 hours per year. Only about 2 hours of that education each year occurs in settings where observation of mother-infant pairs can occur, allowing for evaluation of positioning and latching. Although the optimal amount of breastfeeding education is unknown, hours reported by directors varied greatly, suggesting that residency programs do not have a

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