Supporting Breastmilk Feeding for Infants in Foster Care: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Public Health
• Social Work

Background:

• Millions of children globally are in foster care, often lacking access to breastmilk.
• Existing foster care policies frequently omit provisions for breastfeeding and expressed breastmilk (EBM).

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore evidence on supporting breastfeeding and EBM in foster care.
• To identify barriers and facilitators for breastfeeding and EBM provision for infants in foster care.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review using JBI methodology.
• Searched academic databases and grey literature (March 2023).
• Thematic analysis of 11 included papers.

Main Results:

• Foster parents express safety concerns regarding breastmilk provision.
• Lack of knowledge and guidance among professionals hinders safe, rights-based support.
• Breastfeeding facilitation is not prioritized during infant placement in foster care.

Conclusions:

• Training, positive attitudes, and multidisciplinary teams can improve support.
• Urgent policy and guideline development is needed to ensure safe, person-centered infant feeding.
• Protecting breastfeeding rights for mothers and infants in foster care requires immediate attention.