Written by Hannah Harp
Spoon Feed
Lactation consultation interventions were associated with both higher rates and duration of breastfeeding, with no significant effect on infant growth, rates of overweight/obesity, or maternal self-efficacy scores.
Let’s milk this for all it’s worth
We know that exclusive breastfeeding is ideal for the baby; now let’s look at how different interventions can make it ideal for the family too. This systematic review and meta-analysis of 40 randomized clinical trials assessed whether lactation consultant (LC) interventions improve breastfeeding outcomes compared to usual care in high-income countries. LC interventions significantly reduced the risk of stopping exclusive breastfeeding (RR 0.96; 95%CI 0.94–0.99) and any breastfeeding (RR 0.92; 95%CI 0.87–0.96), and increased any breastfeeding duration by 3.63 weeks (95%CI 0.13–7.12). In-person visits and increased intensity of LC care, up to 8 visits, improved results. These findings support LCs as effective facilitators of sustained breastfeeding. The review is limited by the self-report of most of the data in the included studies as well as disparate definitions of exclusive breastfeeding and extent of lactation intervention.
How will this change my practice?
I’d love to see the cost-benefit analysis of lactation support! I find it very difficult to access lactation consultants who accept public insurance, and getting parents scheduled in a timely way has been a big obstacle. What I’d like to see more of is prenatal breastfeeding education and assistance with identifying lactation resources before the baby arrives.
Source
Breastfeeding Support Provided by Lactation Consultants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. JAMA Pediatr. 2025 Mar 3:e246810. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.6810. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40029627
