Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 14, 2026
05:04
A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect
Published on: September 22, 2023
Breastfeeding Best Start study: training midwives in a 'hands off' positioning and attachment intervention
Susan M Law1, Orla M Dunn, Louise M Wallace
1Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health Care, Coventry University, Coventry, UK. s.law@coventry.ac.uk
Maternal & Child Nutrition
|June 2, 2007
Summary
A 4-hour training program significantly improved midwives' knowledge and skills in breastfeeding positioning and attachment support. This intervention is a cost-effective method to help mothers successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding.
Area of Science:
- Maternal and Child Health
- Nursing Education
- Lactation Support
Background:
- Ineffective breastfeeding positioning and attachment are primary reasons women discontinue breastfeeding early.
- Midwives' knowledge and skills in supporting breastfeeding are crucial for successful lactation.
- Variability exists in midwives' breastfeeding knowledge, with some performing similarly to student midwives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a 4-hour training program on 'hands off' positioning and attachment support for midwives.
- To determine if the training enhances midwives' knowledge and problem-solving skills in breastfeeding support.
- To assess the impact of the training on improving breastfeeding outcomes for mothers.
Main Methods:
- A pre- and post-intervention study design was employed with an experimental group of 108 midwives.
- The experimental group received a 4-hour workshop focused on 'hands off' breastfeeding positioning and attachment techniques.
- Knowledge and problem-solving skills were measured using a modified Breastfeeding Support Skills Tool, compared to a control group of 27 student midwives.
Main Results:
- Qualified midwives showed a significant increase in total scores post-training (7.2 points).
- The training demonstrated a large effect size (d = 0.95), with an average increase of 5.8 points compared to the control group.
- Baseline knowledge scores between qualified and student midwives were not significantly different.
Conclusions:
- A 4-hour 'hands off' positioning and attachment training workshop effectively increases midwives' breastfeeding support knowledge.
- This training is applicable to all midwives and represents a potentially cost-effective method to improve breastfeeding initiation and continuation.
- Enhancing midwives' skills in breastfeeding support can directly address preventable reasons for early breastfeeding cessation.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Attachment
Attachment is vital for infant development, as warm social interactions support growth and well-being. In a classic 1958 study by Harry Harlow, the significance of warmth and comfort in forming attachments was examined. Harlow separated newborn monkeys from their mothers and provided two artificial "mothers": one made of cold wire and the other covered in soft cloth. Despite the wire mother offering food, the infant monkeys preferred the comfort of the cloth mother, demonstrating that physical...
00:55Parental Care
Many animals exhibit parental care behavior, including feeding, grooming, and protecting young offspring. Parental care is universal in mammals and birds, which often have young that are born relatively helpless. Several species of insects and fish, as well as some amphibians, also care for their young.
01:28Development of the Oral Microbiota
The establishment of the oral microbiome begins before birth, challenging the long-held belief that the fetal oral cavity is sterile. The presence of oral microbes such as Streptococcus and Fusobacterium in amniotic fluid suggests that microbial exposure may occur in utero, potentially through translocation from the maternal oral or gastrointestinal tract. This early colonization primes the neonatal immune system and sets the stage for subsequent microbial succession. Maternal health,...
01:30Development of Human Microbiota
The human microbiota begins developing at birth and undergoes continual change as we age. Infancy marks a critical period of microbial sensitivity, offering a “window of opportunity” during which beneficial microbes help mature the immune system. By age three, children typically develop a more stable and diverse microbial community. Newborns acquire microbes from their immediate environment; vaginal delivery favors maternal vaginal microbes, while cesarean births favor microbes from the skin...
01:28Relationship with Parents: Attachment
Parent-child interactions lay the foundation for how we understand relationships throughout life. These interactions are not uniform across families; instead, they are shaped by a range of environmental, emotional, and behavioral factors unique to each caregiver-child dynamic. Social psychologists study these early relationships to understand how patterns formed in infancy influence social functioning and interpersonal behavior in adulthood.Attachment Theory and Early Relational ModelsJohn...
01:22Imprinting
Behavioral imprinting is observed in some newborn animals and occurs when they develop strong and specific attachments to another animal (usually a parent) following brief, early-life exposures. Offspring imprint onto parents within a brief period after birth or hatching; this time window is called the critical period. Once imprinting occurs, the bond established between the parents and their offspring is usually long-lasting.