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Breastfeeding: The Six Key Elements Of The Dimensions Model

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The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for an infant’s first six months of life and then continued breastfeeding until age two (WHO,2015). The benefits of breastfeeding are well established in literature as being favorable for both the infant and mother. Breastfeeding has a range of advantages including nutritional, immunological and psychological benefits for the baby. Breast milk is a complex, living nutritional fluid containing antibodies, enzymes, long-chain fatty acids and hormones, many of which cannot be replicated in formula (Battersby, 2016). The drawbacks of breastfeeding are practically nonexistence, yet the breastfeeding rates continue to be well below the goals as established by Healthy People. The …show more content…

The focus of this model is health care for all members of the community, with a multisectoral approach. The six key elements of the dimensions model are biophysical, psychological, physical environmental, socio-cultural, behavioral, and health systems. Health Systems. The availability of existing lactation services is somewhat limited. Public health does have a lactation nurse available but her time is usually spent following up with and doing home visits with new moms discharged from the hospital. That makes her availability after the first three to four weeks postpartum pretty limited. There is also a breastfeeding class offered to expecting moms, however the moms interviewed did not feel like there was enough education provided in this class. The local hospital also has a full time lactation consultant for inpatient moms, and several of the OB nurses are certified lactation consultants. Again, the moms interviewed did not feel that the education provided in the hospital was enough to promote breastfeeding to six months. Many of the moms interviewed were not aware of the above services, so there is again a lack of education and advertising. The town has one hospital, one walk in clinic, several doctor offices. It has providers in the specialty areas of cardiology, endocrinology, pediatrics, neurology, dermatology, nephrology, and family practice. There is an ambulance service also. Accessibility of services for lactation services are also limited. There is nothing offered in the evenings or weekends for lactation services. The location of public health is centrally located adding convenience. The cost of the public health services and the breastfeeding classes are free. The inpatient hospital lactation provider does charge a fee for a consultation. Among the women interviewed these services were all underutilized, usually

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