Literature review for - Flourish Paediatrics

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) (2007)
The RACGP supports the NHMRC Dietary guidelines for children and adolescents in
Australia incorporating the Infant feeding guidelines for health workers. The RACGP
supports the WHO International code of marketing of breastmilk substitutes’ and will not
accept practices that undermine the code. The RACGP states that breastfeeding should be
promoted as the most appropriate method for feeding infants and one that offers protection
against infection and some chronic diseases. General practitioners should encourage and
support exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months, then the introduction of complementary
foods and continued breastfeeding thereafter. It is recommended that breastfeeding continue
until 12 months of age and thereafter as long as mutually desired. General practitioners
should acknowledge that mothers have the right to breastfeed wherever and whenever their
baby requires, support breastfeeding mothers in the paid work force to continue
breastfeeding, prescribe medication that is compatible with breastfeeding, acknowledge that
even partial breastfeeding is of great value and maintain skills in the diagnosis and
management of common breastfeeding problems.
Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) (2007)
The RACP affirms that breastmilk is superior to formula. The Division supports the NHMRC
Infant Feeding Guidelines for Health Workers. The Division supports the International Code
of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes (1981) and the Voluntary Agreement of the
Marketing in Australia of Infant Formulae (1992).
In terms of breastfeeding management, the RACP states that breastfeeding is almost
universally successful when there is good management and no medical intervention or
exposure to alternative feeding methods. There is evidence that offering a breastfeed within
the first few hours of birth is good for mothers, infants and for ongoing breastfeeding.
"Rooming-in", or keeping the infant with the mother for 24 hours a day, has been shown to
facilitate breastfeeding and promote bonding. Infants should be fed on demand in recognition
that mothers have varying breast capacities and milk production rates. Offering
complementary feeds, whether water, glucose or formula, when there is no medical reason,
has been shown to adversely affect the establishment and maintenance of successful
breastfeeding. There is also a need to recognise the possible dangers associated with artificial
feeding such as possible contamination of feeds, infection and incorrect reconstitution. The
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