Breast care during pregnancy

Teresa S Johnson1, Karen Strube

  • 1College of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA. tsj@uwm.edu

In 1972, breast care during pregnancy by nurses primarily concentrated on preparation of the nipples for breastfeeding. There is now a vast amount of research evidence that demonstrates the positive impact breastfeeding has on maternal and infant health. In this article, we compare the principles of 1972 with contemporary research-based information. Nurses continue to have an important role on the outcomes of breastfeeding initiation, duration, and exclusivity.

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