Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

The conundrum of feeding our minds and our babies

Marche' T. Smith, MD
Conditions
June 8, 2022
Share
Tweet
Share

In 2022, you might have never envisioned that the United States of America would be among other countries struggling to feed its babies. As of the first week of May, more than 40 percent of formula brands are out of stock, and many families are desperately searching high and low, near and far, to find substitute options. In the background of this chaos, I cannot help but consider how we can better address breastfeeding on the physician side of this. Though it would not be a timely solution in this current catastrophe, for others, it might have been a game-changer in many ways had the support from the healthcare team been in place.

As professionals, we are all keenly aware of the many benefits that accompany breastfeeding for both the mother and the child’s overall health. However, are we aware of how our systemic inadequacies negatively impact the probability that families who want to breastfeed will be successful? This is not to say in any way that we should pressure families to breastfeed, but for those who desire to do so, can we examine ways we can better serve them?

Let’s consider that as physicians, we get minimal education on breastfeeding. So, when patients present with challenges, many of us often do not feel equipped to confidently address specific concerns. Additionally, we cannot omit the reality that we may choose to breastfeed our children but if this occurs during our residency training years, there are often no policies in place for protected time to support pumping. Consequently, this barrier decreases the chances that many residents will be able to mirror the very same healthy habits that we recommend for our patients.

Lastly, it is widely known that minority populations are among the lowest breastfeeding rates. But it is this same population that has the highest rates of many of the chronic diseases that are seen in lower incidences among those who choose to breastfeed. Yet, as physicians, we are missing the mark of utilizing this as one protective factor for an already vulnerable population.

So, how do we begin to take small yet impactful steps towards change? Well, we all know that the PDSA (Plan, Do, Study, Act) cycle is a well-known concept utilized for rapid quality improvement. Might it be useful to cognitively link the letters of this concept of “quality improvement” with some ideas that might help families reach their feeding goals proactively?

P: Prepare. In our institutions, we can better prepare learners across all specialties with breastfeeding knowledge. It can be through lectures, rotations, or even training sessions interwoven into their didactic sessions.

D: Diversify. Breastfeeding rates are the lowest among minority populations for many reasons. But we can help change this statistic by delivering culturally competent care and actively listening to families to better address the unique barriers that dissuade them from seeing breastfeeding as an option.

S: Support. For many, the biggest obstacle is the lack of established support options for when challenges arise. Whether from family, friends, the medical home, or support groups, we can start the conversation by reassuring families that they are not alone and that resources exist. We can then identify and share these resources with all families.

A: Advocate. We know that access is typically the greatest barrier for minority populations, often due to the need for policy change. So, though daunting for some and intimidating for others, consider what you can do at any level — your clinic/hospital, local, state, or national — to eliminate the obstacles that prevent families from meeting their feeding goals.

So, though there are many nuances and complexities that have gotten us to this place, there are equally simple and effective ways that we can each begin to take powerful steps towards helping normalize breastfeeding and enhancing our own knowledge. These educational gaps and the countless stories of unmet feeding goals of my patient families and trainees motivated me to become an IBCLC. Though your interest may be different from mine, I hope the commonality remains optimal health outcomes for all families and lifelong learning for ourselves.

Marche’ T. Smith is a pediatrician.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

The past, present, and future of fitness

June 8, 2022 Kevin 0
…
Next

Physician choose wisely: 4 tips when choosing your next job

June 8, 2022 Kevin 0
…

ADVERTISEMENT

Tagged as: Pediatrics

Post navigation

< Previous Post
The past, present, and future of fitness
Next Post >
Physician choose wisely: 4 tips when choosing your next job

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

  • Qualifying conditions for medical marijuana

    Patricia Frye
  • Settlements in the opioid cases need these non-negotiable conditions

    Rosanne Aulino, RN
  • What does Kelly Loeffler’s health plan do to coverage for preexisting conditions?

    Robert Laszewski
  • How COVID is exposing poor working conditions in the U.S.

    Irene Martinez, MD
  • School vaccine exemptions must be for medical conditions only

    Shetal Shah, MD
  • Beware of food sensitivity tests on Facebook

    Roy Benaroch, MD

More in Conditions

  • Make cognitive testing as routine as a blood pressure check

    Joshua Baker and James Jackson, PsyD
  • Reimagining diabetes care with nutrition, not prescriptions

    William Hsu, MD
  • A speech pathologist’s key to better, safer patient care

    Adena Dacy, CCC-SLP
  • How collaboration saved my life from a rare disease doctors couldn’t diagnose

    Tami Burdick
  • Why your emotions are your greatest compass in therapy and life

    Maire Daugharty, MD
  • Patients are not waiting: What MCDA twin parents teach us about shared decision-making

    Stephanie Ernst
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • A faster path to becoming a doctor is possible—here’s how

      Ankit Jain | Education
    • A world without antidepressants: What could possibly go wrong?

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Meds
    • Make cognitive testing as routine as a blood pressure check

      Joshua Baker and James Jackson, PsyD | Conditions
    • Rethinking patient payments: Why billing is the new frontline of patient care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why the words doctors use matter more than they think

      Erin Paterson | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting

      American College of Physicians | Physician
    • The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • What happened to real care in health care?

      Christopher H. Foster, PhD, MPA | Policy
    • How the CDC’s opioid rules created a crisis for chronic pain patients

      Charles LeBaron, MD | Conditions
    • Are quotas a solution to physician shortages?

      Jacob Murphy | Education
  • Recent Posts

    • Rethinking patient payments: Why billing is the new frontline of patient care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The dreaded question: Do you have boys or girls?

      Pamela Adelstein, MD | Physician
    • Make cognitive testing as routine as a blood pressure check

      Joshua Baker and James Jackson, PsyD | Conditions
    • Reimagining diabetes care with nutrition, not prescriptions

      William Hsu, MD | Conditions
    • Why funding cuts to academic medical centers impact all of us [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • A faster path to becoming a doctor is possible—here’s how

      Ankit Jain | Education
    • A world without antidepressants: What could possibly go wrong?

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Meds
    • Make cognitive testing as routine as a blood pressure check

      Joshua Baker and James Jackson, PsyD | Conditions
    • Rethinking patient payments: Why billing is the new frontline of patient care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • Why the words doctors use matter more than they think

      Erin Paterson | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting

      American College of Physicians | Physician
    • The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • What happened to real care in health care?

      Christopher H. Foster, PhD, MPA | Policy
    • How the CDC’s opioid rules created a crisis for chronic pain patients

      Charles LeBaron, MD | Conditions
    • Are quotas a solution to physician shortages?

      Jacob Murphy | Education
  • Recent Posts

    • Rethinking patient payments: Why billing is the new frontline of patient care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The dreaded question: Do you have boys or girls?

      Pamela Adelstein, MD | Physician
    • Make cognitive testing as routine as a blood pressure check

      Joshua Baker and James Jackson, PsyD | Conditions
    • Reimagining diabetes care with nutrition, not prescriptions

      William Hsu, MD | Conditions
    • Why funding cuts to academic medical centers impact all of us [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...