The prenatal consultation as a tool to promote human breastfeeding

Abstract

Pregnancy is a crucial time to support the decision to breastfeed, correct misinformation, provide valuable information, and encourage those parents who are undecided about breastfeeding. The WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months and supplemented up to 2 years or longer, due to the benefits it brings to both parents and children, however, some studies show that in most cases, even in developed countries complementary foods are being introduced to infants before 6 months of age. Some studies on prenatal and breastfeeding education suggest that recurrent, individual, and technologybased educational programs are effective in providing evidence-based information and guidance. Prenatal education on human breastfeeding increases the initiation, exclusivity, and duration of breastfeeding and should be offered at all prenatal visits throughout the pregnancy to both parents and support persons. Standard care should be offered to all parents, and if necessary, guidance on exclusive and/or modified breastfeeding, as is the case for LGBTQ + parents.