Four Urgent Actions for the Rights to Culturally Safe Breastfeeding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mothers
Jessica Bennett1,2, Jamie Bryant1,3, Kade Booth1,3
1School of Medicine and Public Health, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, New South Wales, Australia.
Breast milk provides both short-term and long-term health benefits and is critical for infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Presently, there is a large focus on increasing breastfeeding rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women; however, culturally safe breastfeeding support is under-recognised and inadequately addressed in the NICU setting. This perspective highlights cultural and structural barriers and calls for urgent action to include the following four proposed strategies: strengthening the Aboriginal lactation workforce, embedding culturally inclusive education, partnering with community-controlled services, and developing a culturally specific NICU breastfeeding policy to improve outcomes.
Breast milk provides both short-term and long-term health benefits and is critical for infants admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Presently, there is a large focus on increasing breastfeeding rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women; however, culturally safe breastfeeding support is under-recognised and inadequately addressed in the NICU setting. This perspective highlights cultural and structural barriers and calls for urgent action to include the following four proposed strategies: strengthening the Aboriginal lactation workforce, embedding culturally inclusive education, partnering with community-controlled services, and developing a culturally specific NICU breastfeeding policy to improve outcomes.
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