What breastfeeding education (if any) are undergraduate health students receiving? Mindy Booker, student dietitian (Honours) (QUT)

Inaccurate and inconsistent advice from health professionals is commonly reported by women as a barrier on their breastfeeding journey (Clifford & McIntyre, 2004; Department of Health, 2018). A number of studies have identified that a wide range of health professionals, including general practitioners, nurses, pharmacists and dietitians have low levels of breastfeeding knowledge and skills, and clinicians report that they do not feel confident supporting breastfeeding women (Yang et al, 2019; Bagwell et al 1993; Fei Sim et al, 2018; Ryan & Smith, 2017; Taveras et al, 2004).