Supporting women with learning disabilities in infant feeding decisions: UK health care professionals' experiences.

Women with learning disabilities are less likely to breastfeed than other women. They may find it hard to understand or learn feeding techniques or know that they have infant feeding choices. This population may be supported during their pregnancies by a range of professionals with differing priorit...

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Publicado en:Maternal & Child Nutrition Vol. 19; no. 1; pp. 1 - 11
Autores principales: Dowling, Sally, Douglass, Emma, Lucas, Geraldine, Johnson, Clare
Formato: research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Wiley-Blackwell Jan2023
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Jan2023
      vid: 19
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      pub: Wiley-Blackwell
      place: Malden, Massachusetts
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        10.1111/mcn.13432
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        atl: Supporting women with learning disabilities in infant feeding decisions: UK health care professionals' experiences.
      aug:
        au:
          Dowling, Sally
          Douglass, Emma
          Lucas, Geraldine
          Johnson, Clare
        affil: School of Health and Social Wellbeing, Centre for Public Health and Wellbeing, University of the West of England, Glenside Campus, Bristol, UK
      sug:
        subj:
          Mothers Psychosocial Factors
          Intellectual Disability Psychosocial Factors
          Infant Feeding
          Decision Making
          Support, Psychosocial
          Attitude of Health Personnel Evaluation
          Work Experiences Evaluation
          Human
          Female
          England
          Interviews
          Qualitative Studies
          Social Constructionism
          Audiorecording
          Interview Guides
          Data Analysis Software
          Thematic Analysis
          Semantic Analysis
          Maternal Health Services
          Female
      ab: Women with learning disabilities are less likely to breastfeed than other women. They may find it hard to understand or learn feeding techniques or know that they have infant feeding choices. This population may be supported during their pregnancies by a range of professionals with differing priorities and responsibilities towards both the mother and the baby. This puts considerable pressure on health care professionals including, but not limited to, midwives, infant feeding specialists, health visitors and learning disability nurses. Those who support women with learning disabilities through their journey into motherhood have a responsibility to ensure the women in their care have the information they need to make decisions about a range of issues, including infant feeding. In the absence of dedicated lactation consultants, this is one of many issues to be discussed within time‐limited appointments. Little is known about the experience of supporting women with learning disabilities to make infant feeding decisions from the point of view of health professionals. Using a qualitative descriptive research design, we conducted online, semistructured interviews with seven UK health professionals about their experience of supporting women with learning disabilities in infant feeding. Thematic analysis identified three themes: the importance of health professionals' having unconditional, positive regard; the need for an individualised approach to supporting women to make infant‐feeding decisions; and being part of the support network. This suggests that women with learning disabilities can make and put into practice infant feeding decisions if they have access to the right support at the right time. Key messages: With the right support at the right time, women with learning disabilities can make infant feeding decisions and successfully feed their babies.Infant feeding options should be discussed early in the pregnancy, with repetition and the use of accessible resources such as videos to support decision‐making.Breastfeeding should be considered a viable option for all women.Health professionals need to be flexible in their approach to supporting infant feeding decision‐making, working as part of the woman's circle of support.Accessible resources can be helpful in supporting infant feeding decision‐making, but one size does not fit all.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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