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News that is here to help
Australian Bushfires Royal Commission 2020
A Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements is being held as a review of the management of the bushfire emergency over the last summer. ABA has submitted feedback regarding planning and preparation around the care of infants and young children in emergencies.
Nipple Shields
Nipple shields come in different sizes. It is important for them to be fitted to suit the size of individual mothers’ nipples, otherwise milk flow can be impeded and they can cause nipple damage. Nipple shields must be put on the breast correctly to optimise milk removal and comfort. It is therefore important to observe a breastfeed when a mother begins using a nipple shield to ensure the infant is able to remove milk well and the mother’s comfort is maintained. In most cases, use of a nipple shield is temporary. Some mothers find they only need to use the nipple shield in the early days while their infant is learning to breastfeed.
ABA Professional News – April 2020
I hope you are all travelling reasonably well in this time of pandemic. It’s a brave new world of social distancing, working from home, telehealth and school at home among usual our usual roles and expectations. For some it will be a mere blip and for others extremely challenging.
Assessing newborn intake in the context of COVID-19
Physical distancing measures are limiting opportunities to weigh babies. This short video outlines ways to assess infant intake without weighing. Using these techniques will allow those working with mothers and babies to provide an assessment utilising telehealth and flag the mothers and babies that need face to face contact.
Breastfeeding Basics
Breastfeeding Basics has been created to educate families about the early days and weeks of breastfeeding and includes feeding cues, positioning and attachment, how to tell if the baby is feeding effectively. Contents Breastfeeding: Getting started (0:06) Chapter 1: Starting out (0:32) Chapter 2: Getting closer (1:55) Chapter 3: What to expect (3:55) Chapter 4: Feeding cues (5:04) Chapter 5: Making feeding comfortable for you and baby (6:03) Baby-led attachment (6:52) Mother-led attachment (7:39) Chapter 6: How do I know if baby is getting enough? (10:58) Hand expressing (12:02) Reverse pressure softening (12:13) Chapter 7: Help and encouragement (12:30)
Infant and young child feeding – Global and Australian guidance
The Strategy is intended as a guide for action. It identifies interventions with a proven positive impact. It emphasises providing mothers and families the support they need to carry out their crucial roles and it explicitly defines the obligations and responsibilities in this regard of governments, international organisations and other concerned parties. Everyone concerned should move swiftly and deliberately to give tangible effect to the Global Strategy’s vital aim and practical objectives to help make the world a truly fit environment where all children can thrive and achieve their full potential. WHO and UNICEF jointly developed the Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding whose aim is to improve — through optimal feeding — the nutritional status, growth and development, health and, thus, the very survival of infants and young children.
