ITF launches new resources to address gaps in infant feeding support

The not-for-profit expert group, the Infant & Toddler Forum (ITF), has launched its educational programme on infant feeding in response to survey data indicating that almost a quarter of healthcare professionals (HCPs) do not feel confident supporting parents in core areas of infant feeding including breastfeeding initiation, breastfeeding maintenance, expressing milk, formula feeding, differences between formulas, responsive feeding, combination feeding and food allergies.

The survey of 151 midwives, healthcare visitors and GPs indicated their access to training has diminished; 40% of HCPs could not receive the training they were looking for through their own organisation.

An additional survey of 506 parents with a child aged <1 year revealed high levels of dissatisfaction with the support they received from HCPs; only 15% of parents said they received adequate support in initiating breastfeeding.

To help close the gap, the ITF has developed training resources to help HCPs refresh their knowledge and restore confidence in their supporting role for mothers. The resources include:

• a free online training course

• ‘What’s in Breast Milk’ factsheet, outlining the composition of breast milk and the health benefits of breastfeeding

• ‘What’s in Formula Milk’ factsheet, explaining the components of formula milk and the different types of formula

• infographics.

The resources are freely available at infantandtoddlerforum.org