public reputation. Dietary guidelines and growth charts Update and promote the Infant Feeding Guidelines for Health Workers and the Australian Dietary Guidelines. Embed the Infant Feeding Guidelines and the Australian Dietary Guidelines in health professional education and training. National dietary or other guidelines or protocols, such as for infant feeding or growth monitoring also interact with health care delivery systems and health professional education and training, to strongly influence individual women’s infant and young child feeding practices. Settings Health professional education and training Implement breastfeeding education and training for health professionals. Implement a clinical breastfeeding research program. There is evidence that education and training of health care workers results in improved knowledge of breastfeeding. The type of education and training that is most effective remains unclear. Evidence of translation into improved practices and breastfeeding outcomes is more mixed and
during the first weeks of life. Support for breastfeeding in the workplace Seek stakeholder engagement in providing breastfeeding-friendly workplaces. Interventions to address barriers to breastfeeding in work settings appear effective, including in Australia. Workplace programs cannot be relied on to provide equitable access to breastfeeding support for employed women. This is because most ‘at risk’ mothers, confronted by multiple barriers to breastfeeding, may be less likely to be employed in the ‘breastfeeding friendly’ and supportive work settings and occupations evaluated in such studies. Support for breastfeeding in early childhood education and care settings Pilot and evaluate a Breastfeeding-Friendly Child Care program. Breastfeeding by mothers and infants or young children is likely to be higher in childcare settings where there are specific and active support strategies in place.
Interested in how midwives can support early initiation of breastfeeding and improve child and maternal health outcomes. Provide input to evaluation Learning about which interventions/strategies are effective in increasing breastfeeding rates Professional associations and colleges Assess health professionals’ current knowledge, attitudes and skills relevant to breastfeeding. Develop effective professional education and training programs on breastfeeding. about effective interventions for health professional education on breastfeeding Build the evidence base on breastfeeding education and training for health care staff. Australian Private Hospitals Association Represents the private hospital sector Role of the private hospital sector in improving breastfeeding rates. Learn which interventions/strategies are effective in increasing breastfeeding rates Australian Healthcare and Hospitals Association Represents the continuum of healthcare services including area, regional and district health services, hospitals, community and primary health centres, aged and extended care facilities Learn which interventions/strategies are effective in increasing breastfeeding rates Childbirth and Parenting Educators of Australia Support childbirth and parenting educators as they strive to provide high quality, accessible and responsive education to women and their families during pregnancy and early parenthood Interested in improving child and maternal health outcomes. Learn which interventions/strategies are effective in increasing breastfeeding rates Women’s Healthcare Australasia Peak body for hospitals and health care services caring for women and babies in Australia Learning about which interventions/strategies are effective in increasing breastfeeding rates
To be finalised in June/July 2018 A: – Outputs/ Outcomes Measures/ indicators Data sources/ methods When/ how reported Responsible person/s (data collection) Increased proportion of mothers who intend to breastfeed Mother’s Intention to breastfeed National Perinatal Data Collection Collected at birth Midwives/ other staff Mother’s intention to breastfeed Australian Immunisation Register Women in their third trimester receiving vaccination for Whooping Cough/ Pertussis Nurses at General practices or Community health clinics Increased proportion of children who were put to the breast within one hour of birth Early initiation of breastfeeding National Perinatal Data Collection Collected at birth Midwives/ other staff Increased proportion of children who were ever breastfed Breastfeeding status: nil, partial, full Australian Immunisation Register Infants receiving vaccinations at 2, 4, 6, 12 and 18 months of age Nurses at General practices or Community health clinics Ever received breastmilk Currently receiving breastmilk Not currently receiving breastmilk Never received breastmilk National Health Survey Every 3 years Reports on children aged 0-24 months ABS
Age when child stopped receiving any breastmilk Increased proportion of children who are exclusively breastfed Children aged months who are fed only breast milk Australian Immunisation Register Infants receiving vaccinations at 2, 4, 6, 12 and 18 months of age Nurses at General practices or Community health clinics Children aged months who are fed only breast milk National Infant Feeding Survey Every 5 years AIHW Babies receive foods from 6 months Age at child first ate soft, semi-solid or solid food (4 months or less, more than 4 months to 6 months etc.) National Health Survey Every 3 years Reports on children aged 0-24 months ABS REFERENCES