lactation research
With thousands of research articles published annually, staying up-to-date on the latest perinatal research can be a daunting task. Don't worry if you don't have time to sift through endless studies. Evergreen Perinatal Education has you covered.
We offer a variety of resources to help you stay informed, including summaries of key studies, meta-analyses comparing formula and breastmilk, and access to updated hospital documents related to lactation and infant feeding. Make informed decisions with our expert-curated resources.
We offer a variety of resources to help you stay informed, including summaries of key studies, meta-analyses comparing formula and breastmilk, and access to updated hospital documents related to lactation and infant feeding. Make informed decisions with our expert-curated resources.
Lactation Latte
(Temporarily on hold)
Start your week with a fresh brew of the latest lactation research! Our Monday morning email delivers a summary of all the lactation papers published in the past week.
Start your week with a fresh brew of the latest lactation research! Our Monday morning email delivers a summary of all the lactation papers published in the past week.
Research documents
Outcomes of Lactation: Human Milk versus Formula Feeding
Things You
Can Do to Make
Lactation
Successful:
18 Steps to Successful Bodyfeeding
- Learn as much as you can about bodyfeeding before you have your baby.
- Learn how to express milk during the last few weeks of pregnancy, unless you have been told to restrict any activities that might cause contractions of the uterus.
- Work hard to give birth without pain medications and ask your doctor/midwife and the nurses to help you.
- Ask your doctor/midwife to delay clamping the cord for at least 3 minutes. Your baby will be staying warm next to your skin during this time.
- The first hour is critical! Focus completely on feeding and keeping your baby warm.
- Keep your baby warm with continuous skin-to-skin contact.
- Ask the nurses to leave your baby next to you until the baby has chestfed.
- Ask the nurse to not weigh the baby or take the baby away for any care until the baby is warm and fed - at least one hour. Much of the baby’s care can be done while you feed.
- Eliminate or delay any bathing of the baby for at least 12 hours.
- Expect the baby to suck and sleep/rest off and on during the first few hours. Keep the baby next to you so you will know when your baby needs you. FEED EARLY! FEED OFTEN!
- Don’t start using a pump unless your baby needs to be separated from you and is unable to feed at the breast. Starting early with a mechanical pump can complicate breastfeeding.
- If your baby isn’t sucking well, express a few drops of milk into a spoon and feed those to your baby.
- Remember, you have just the right amount of milk for your baby.
- Don’t give a pacifier or any bottles in the hospital. If you are told your baby needs some extra milk for a medical reason, first try expressing extra milk and give it with a spoon. This is often all your baby needs.
- Formula is cow milk and should only be used for the treatment of a medical condition and only if you can’t get your own extra milk or donor milk is unavailable.
- Just one bottle of formula can change: How your baby sucks, how much milk you make, how your baby’s tummy feels
- The secret to successful? MOVE MILK! MOVE MILK!
- Get help when you need it. Don’t quit, and remember, MOVE MILK!
Prenatal Lactation Risk Assessment
Designed for Clinicians Providing Prenatal Care, To Be Incorporated in the Electronic Medical Records
Anatomy
❑ Advanced age (age-related atrophy of milk glands)
❑ No breast/chest changes in pregnancy
❑ Suspected glandular hypoplasia (markedly asymmetric, widely spaced, or tubular-shaped)
❑ Breast surgery, trauma, breast or cranial radiation
❑ Gender-Affirming Top Surgery
❑ Smooth or inverted nipples
metabolism/hormones
❑ Diabetes (gestational, Types 1 and 2)
❑ Obesity (blunted prolactin response to sucking)
❑ PCOS, especially with no breast/chest growth in pregnancy
❑ Gender-Affirming Hormone Treatment
❑ Thyroid conditions
other
❑ For multiparas: history of difficulty chestfeeding previous children
❑ Medications that may suppress milk production
❑ Lack of social support, health education
Additional Postpartum Risk Assessment
❑ New Medication that may suppress milk production
❑ Postpartum haemorrhage (rare: Sheehan’s syndrome)
❑ Retained placenta
Compiled from:
ABM Clinical Protocol #3: Supplementary Feedings in the Healthy Term Breastfed Neonate, Revised 2017
ABM Clinical Protocol #7: Model Maternity Policy Supportive of Breastfeeding, 2018
ABM Clinical Protocol #9: Use of Galactogogues in Initiating or Augmenting Maternal Milk Production, Revised 2018
ABM Clinical Protocol #19: Breastfeeding Promotion in the Prenatal Setting, Revision 2015
LATCH Score Updates 2024
Strength of Recommendations Rubric for Lactation
Ranking Systems Out of 5 Stars by Evergreen Perinatal Education
Precision (Sample Size)
10% of the total population: Perfect
1,000 < 10% of population: Realistic
100 – 999: Minus 2 Stars
1-99: Minus 4 Stars
Case Studies: Minus 2 Stars
Risk of Bias (Methodology)
Double
anonymous study
with
allocation unknown
and
has a control group: Perfect
Any combination: Minus 1 stars
Any combination: Minus 1 stars
Quality of Evidence
Actionable outcome : Perfect
No actionable outcome: Minus 1 star
Need help with your research?
Evergreen Perinatal Education is committed to supporting non-commercial lactation research by helping researchers gather the necessary survey responses. We understand the unique challenges associated with this field especially limited funding and specialized populations. To address these challenges, we hope to assist researchers by utilizing our growing network for their expertise and thoughts.
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