Health e-Learning - About the Essentials Program

The aim of the program is to provide participants with the opportunity to gain an excellent understanding of the 10 Steps to Successful Breastfeeding and the 7-Point Plan for Supporting Breastfeeding in the Community, which will allow them to educate and assist mothers to breastfeed their infants in a manner which is consistent and evidence-based, and results in high breastfeeding initiation rates with a lesser number of women experiencing difficulties.

A secondary aim is to provide the consistent, convenient, cost-effective, high-quality staff education required by health care settings seeking Baby Friendly Hospitals’ Initiative accreditation.

Accreditation

The Breastfeeding Essentials series are evidence-based courses, the information based primarily on recent primary research published in peer-reviewed mainstream journals. All references are cited.

Breastfeeding Essentials was reviewed by faculty from the midwifery unit of Griffith University, Australia, a university that is using this program in the education of their undergraduate midwives.

On successful completion participants will receive a Certificate with the following educational points noted:

18 L CERPs awarded by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners. Approval # C24110
18 Contact Hours. Health e-Learning is an approved provider of professional education by the Virginia Nurses' Association, an accredited approver by the ANCC's Commission on Accreditation. Approval #07-01-01
18 Hours education specific to lactation and breastfeeding.

Essential Update was reviewed by two subject matter experts: Dr Jenni James PhD, IBCLC; Lactation Consultant at Royal Women's Hospital, Melbourne; and Dr Ruth Cantrill PhD, IBCLC, Midwifery program coordinator Griffith University, Australia. The program was subsequently reviewed by 16 Lactation Consultants working in the perinatal area from different countries (Australia, USA, UK, New Zealand, Norway and Israel).

On successful completion participants will receive a Certificate with the following educational points noted:

12 L CERPs awarded by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners. Approval # C25343
12 Contact Hours. Health e-Learning is an approved provider of professional education by the Virginia Nurses' Association, an accredited approver by the ANCC's Commission on Accreditation. Approval #07-01-01
12 Hours education specific to lactation and breastfeeding.

Essentials for Doctors was reviewed for content accuracy and relevancy by

Dr Wendy Brodribb, AM, MBBS, IBCLC and
Dr Nancy Wight, MD, IBCLC, FABM, FAAP, Neonatologist, Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women and Children's Hospital; Medical Director, Sharp HealthCare Lactation Services, San Diego California.

On successful completion participants will receive a Certificate of Completion.

Using Essentials Programs for your staff education

Technology: Hospitals do not require any software or change to their current network configuration - the course is accessible from the Health e-Learning web server (website).

Tutoring: A delegated hospital trainer has online facilitator access to answer individual participant’s questions posed via the forum facility and can monitor and guide discussion in the online forums.

Participant Records: The Health e-Learning Administrator will notify the hospital contact regularly of the progress of all participants.

Participant Administration: The Health e-Learning Administrator enrols participants; provides the facilitator with their passwords to permit access; emails a spreadsheet of participants’ achievements for your record-keeping. Graduates print their Certificate from the program.

Syllabus for the Essentials Courses

Breastfeeding Essentials

Why breastfeeding is important.
- Biochemistry;
- Immunology;
- Effect of artificial infant formula-feeding
Communication Skills
Antenatal Considerations
- Making the infant feeding decision;
- Barriers to breastfeeding, including Working Mother;
- Physical preparation;
- Special considerations (HIV, drugs, etc)
The Birth Experience
- Labouring and breastfeeding;
- Birthing and breastfeeding;
- The first hours;
- Rethinking detrimental practices
Breastfeeding the Baby
- Positioning Principles;
- Assessing breastfeeding;
- Principles of breastmilk transfer
A Time to Learn
- Practical skills;
- Breastfeeding messages;
- Normal growth;
- Sleeping and waking patterns;
- Psychological Support;
- Discharge planning
Infant Challenges
- The non–latching baby;
- Hypoglycaemia; Jaundice;
- The near-term baby; Supplements;
- The crying baby;
- Inadequate weight gain
Maternal Challenges
- Nipple damage/conditions;
- Blocked ducts; Mastitis; Abscess;
- Breastmilk supply problems;
- Medical issues; Surgical issues; Medications
Promoting, Protecting and Supporting Breastfeeding
- Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding;
- 7-Point Community Plan;
- WHO Code

Essential Update

An overview of the 10 Steps
The first breastfeed
- Resuscitation
- Skin-to-skin contact
- Role of the birth attendants
- Maternal-infant bonding
- Birthing Room Practices
Intrapartum Effects on Breastfeeding
- Effect of a support person; maternal positioning; eating drinking and IV fluids;
- Intrapartum medications including analgesics and anaesthetics, and oxytocin
- Mode of delivery and effect on breastfeeding
The first week
- Maternal role acquisition, discharge planning
- Practical skills: positioning and latch; expressing breastmilk
- Educational messages: how to tell baby getting enough; how often should baby breastfeed; when should complementary foods be commenced; how long and where should baby sleep; rooming-in in hospital and at home; danger signals; referral to community support
- Maternal self-confidence and self-efficacy
Problem solving
- Assessment techniques
- The non-latching baby
- Hypoglycaemia
- Breast engorgement
- Nipple damage
- Hyperbilirubinaemia
- Supplements
- Mastitis
- The preterm baby

Breastfeeding Essentials for Doctors

Breast structure and function
- Anatomy of the lactating breast
- Physiology of lactation
- Relevant infant oral anatomy
- Biochemistry of breastmilk
- Immunobiology
Peripartum Influences
- Antenatal Influences
- Intrapartum Effects
  - Medications
  - Mode of delivery
- The First Breastfeed
  - Birthing room practices
Positioning and Latch
- The Physics of Suckling
- Teaching the Skills
- Assessing a breastfeed
The First Week
- Practical Skills
- Essential educational messages
- Discharge Planning
Breastfeeding Challenges
- The non-latching baby
- Hypoglycaemia
- Engorgement
- Damaged nipples
- Jaundice
- Supplementing
- Mastitis
- Prematurity