This project will look at what doctors and nurses tell new mothers about drinking alcohol while they are breastfeeding so that they can provide supportive messages which allow a mother to drink and still safely breastfeed. Despite wanting to breastfeed many Australian women also want to return to drinking alcohol after the birth of their baby. Breastfeeding is the optimal method of feeding an infant to get the best health effects in a child. In Australia drinking alcohol is the cultural norm and alcohol in breastmilk can disrupt the hormones needed to successfully breastfeed. This results in the baby receiving less breastmilk and being hungry and cranky and can often lead the mother to introduce infant formula to help settle her baby.
Project lead:
Telethon Kids Institute
Contact:
Roslyn Giglia
roslyn.giglia@telethonkids.org.au
Project dates:
2015-2017
Funded by:
NHMRC Translating Research into Practice Fellowship