Feeding Babies

Course Overview

This Ausmed Course will address four aspects of feeding success in babies under six-months-old and look at how successful feeding is not just dependent on how much the baby drinks, but also how the feeding relationship and environment contribute to success or struggle.

Topics

• Establishment of infant feeding
• Assessing a feed
• Common problems with feeding
• Development of a management plan

Need

Exclusive breastfeeding is the globally accepted gold standard for feeding infants up until at least six months of age, with Australian government dietary guidelines confirming that this ‘provides babies with the best start in life and is a key contributor to infant health.’ However, there are some instances in which a mother cannot breastfeed her infant.

Whilst breastfeeding education is available in many formats, a broader education for the parents of the large number of infants being bottle-fed is imperative. It is essential that health professionals are well equipped to provide help to parents who struggle with worries about their baby feeding, and need to receive help before the problems become entrenched.

Purpose

The purpose of this Ausmed Course is to provide a better understanding of the broad range of factors affecting successful feeding, consequently ensuring your confidence in assessing infant feeding and being able to advise parents what approach will be most effective.

Learning Outcomes

• Use your understanding of feeding development to assist mothers in order to ensure appropriate development is occurring.
• Identify common problems with feeding to implement early interventions to improve nutritional intake of the infant.
• Use knowledge of effective techniques to assess a feed to ensure improved outcomes for both mother and infant.
• Link management strategies with best practice to formulate an effective plan to minimise the risk of poor feeding practices developing.

Target Audience

This Ausmed Course is most relevant to midwives and nurses working with young babies, including those working in paediatric or neonatal settings, as well as maternal and child health nurses.

Disclosure

No conflict of interest exists for anyone in the position to control content for this activity. Wherever possible, generic or non-proprietary names of medications or products have been used.

Educator

Michele Meehan View profile

Michele Meehan is a maternal and child health nurse in private practice, as well as working in education on child health. She has worked at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne as a clinical nurse consultant and holds a Master’s Degree in Health Science - Parent and Infant Mental Health. Michele has a specific expertise in infant food refusal.