Information for Professionals: Frequently Asked Questions

MO-07-0050 BFP 

Table of Contents

What should be considered when a breastfeeding mother needs to have medications? 

There are many issues to be considered when deciding whether and which medications to use with a breastfeeding mother, including the risk of NOT breastfeeding for both mother and baby. Medications and Breastfeeding (PDF)

What information is available for breastfeeding mothers who plan to return to work or school? 

Many women never consider breastfeeding because they will need to be separated from their babies when they return to work or school.  Health care providers can be instrumental in helping provide anticipatory guidance and support so that women can make the best choice for their families.  Resources to be shared with families, employers and child care workers can be found at: Going Back to Work or School

What contraceptive options are best for breastfeeding mothers? 

Some issues to discuss with patients in order to assist them in choosing the best family planning option can be found at: Family Planning and Contraception During Breastfeeding

How can my community prepare for infant feeding in emergencies? 

Links to address mother/infant transportation and care, as well as infant and toddler nutrition can be found at: Emergency Preparedness: Infant and Young Child Care and Feeding

How can I obtain in-hospital breastfeeding rates for a specific hospital or county in California? 

The California Department of Public Health’s Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Program provides access to data tables with breastfeeding initiation rates for local hospitals, counties and the State. Link to Hospital Breastfeeding Data.

What are the Breastfeeding Model Hospital Policy Recommendations and the Toolkit to implement them? 

These recommendations provide California hospitals with evidence-based actions they can follow which will lead to optimal maternal/infant care. Link to Model Hospital Policies Toolkit.

What breastfeeding assessments should be done during the infant’s first few visits to meet the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement “Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk?” 

The AAP recommends that infants be seen at days 3-5 and again at 2 – 3 weeks.  The following link is to a sample document (Word)that contains reminders based on the AAP’s document. You can also locate additional information through the American Academy of Pediatrics.

What evidence-based protocols are available for feeding Very Low Birth Weight Infants? 

The California Perinatal Care Collaborative Toolkits provide evidence-based recommendations and sample protocols Part I and Part II.

Does breastfeeding cause Early Childhood Caries (EEC)? 

Breastfeeding or the age of weaning from breastfeeding have not been proven to increase the risk of early childhood caries. Pediatrics 2007:120;e944-e952. Existing studies implicating breastfeeding as a cause often have not considered other known risk factors in dental caries, such as lack of fluoride exposure, additional dietary sources, or level of a child’s own decay-causing oral bacteria.

What are the recommendations to prevent rickets in exclusively breastfed infants? 

The Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Program sent a letter and attachments on this topic to Public Health providers and programs in June 2007:

2007 Letter to Health Care Providers (PDF)

Background Information for 2007 Letter (PDF)

FAQs (PDF)