Promoting Breastfeeding

ALEXANDER K. LEUNG; REGINALD S. SAUVE

Clinical Briefs

Apr 15, 2002

Reducing Barriers to Breastfeeding

Letters to the Editor

Promoting Breastfeeding

ALEXANDER K. LEUNG, M.D.,

REGINALD S. SAUVE, M.D.,

University of Calgary, Alberta Children's Hospital, 1820 Richmond Rd. SW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2T 5C7

American Family Physician. 2002;65(8):1521-1522.

to the editor: We would like to commend Dr. Sinusas and Ms. Gagliardi for their excellent article on breastfeeding.¹ They describe ways for family physicians to facilitate the early initiation and long-term success of breastfeeding in their patients.

The authors suggest the use of the “Ten Steps” of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative of WHO/UNICEF to promote, protect, and support breastfeeding.² A Baby-Friendly hospital should also adhere to the WHO/UNICEF International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and subsequent World Health Assembly (WHA) resolutions.³ The code seeks to protect breastfeeding by preventing inappropriate marketing of breast-milk substitutes, feeding bottles, soothers, and complimentary foods when used to replace breast milk.⁴ To provide an optimal environment for breastfeeding, family physicians and pediatricians should follow the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) listed in the accompanying table⁵ and ensure that their offices are breastfeeding-friendly.⁴

ALEXANDER K. LEUNG, M.D.

University of Calgary

Alberta Children's Hospital

1820 Richmond Rd. SW

Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2T 5C7

REGINALD S. SAUVE, M.D.

University of Calgary

Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2T 5C7

1.Sinusas K, Gagliardi A. Initial management of breastfeedind. Am Fam Physician. 2001;64:981-8.
2.Protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding: the special role of maternity services. A joint WHO/UNICEF statement. Int J Gynaecol Obstet. 1990;31(Suppl 1):171-83.
3.World Health Organization. International code of marketing of breast-milk substitutes. Geneva: World Health Organization, 1981.
4.Leung AK, Sauve RS. Breast is best for babies: Part 2. Can J Diagn. 2001;18:65-73.
5.American Academy of Pediatrics. Work Group on Breastfeeding. Breastfeeding and the use of human milk. Pediatrics. 1997;100:1035-9.

Email letter submissions to afplet@aafp.org. Letters should be fewer than 400 words and limited to six references, one table or figure, and three authors. Letters submitted for publication in AFP must not be submitted to any other publication. Letters may be edited to meet style and space requirements.

This series is coordinated by Kenny Lin, MD, MPH, deputy editor.