Lactation is a vital function of reproduction and population dynamics as human milk supports infant survival and development. Although the physiological processes of lactation have largely remained unchanged throughout h...Lactation is a vital function of reproduction and population dynamics as human milk supports infant survival and development. Although the physiological processes of lactation have largely remained unchanged throughout human history, contemporary practices in human milk provision have expanded the original lexicon, resulting in ambiguity and potential misrepresentations in lactation-related language. We provide an overview of the anatomy and physiology of lactation to emphasize the importance of precise and consistent language as most nurses and health care professionals receive little to no education in their programs of study about lactation and breastfeeding. Concrete definitions and explanations on how to use the science of human milk and the physiology of lactation are crucial for evidence-based lactation education, support, and intervention. LactaPedia, an online comprehensive human lactation glossary, is freely accessible to nurses and the public to remain updated on lactation-related language as well as offer feedback on the relevancy and usability of any fundamental terminology. Precise and consistent use of lactation-related language will overall improve communication between nurses and multidisciplinary teams and thereby enhance care and outcomes for families.
MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs
· 2025 Jul-Aug 01 · PMID 40202439
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The first well-child encounter for healthy, full-term newborns occurs within the critical window for the establishment of the milk supply. Frequent, effective removal of human milk from the breast is essential to achievi...The first well-child encounter for healthy, full-term newborns occurs within the critical window for the establishment of the milk supply. Frequent, effective removal of human milk from the breast is essential to achieving a robust milk supply. Nurses in primary care settings are crucial in providing quality and timely lactation care to ensure the parent is experiencing effective milk removal. Identification of risk factors and barriers to achieving a milk supply requires adept assessment and knowledge of lactation physiology. Not all nurses receive formal education on human milk and lactation. This resource can be used by primary care nurses to prioritize establishing and protecting the milk supply among families with a desire to breastfeed.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) constitute a large class of chemicals with widespread exposure in the United States. They are commonly used in products because they repel water, stain, and grease. Concerns abo...Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) constitute a large class of chemicals with widespread exposure in the United States. They are commonly used in products because they repel water, stain, and grease. Concerns about the health impacts from PFAS exposures continue to grow as science has linked this chemical family with a wide range of health effects. A recent report by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry ( ATSDR, 2024 ), along with findings from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine ( NASEM, 2022 ), found sufficient evidence for the following health effects in children: decreased antibody response, dyslipidemia, and decreases in birthweight. For pregnant patients, health effects include gestational hypertension and preeclampsia. Some of these chemicals can pass through human breastmilk and when tested, are routinely found in umbilical cord blood and fetal organs ( ATSDR, 2021 ). Concerns for human health prompted the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to recently regulate five different PFAS and combinations of them. We offer clinical perspectives based on the most current literature to reduce health effects including methods to reduce exposure, implications of lab testing, and clinical management considerations. This topic is important because of widespread human exposure. PFAS may bioaccumulate in humans; may increase cancer risk; have long half-lives in humans; and may affect the developing fetus and child. PFAS levels exceed EPA's Lifetime Health Advisory (LTHA) in drinking water in most states. An overview of this issue and related health concerns is presented in the context of implications for maternity and pediatric patients.
OBJECTIVE: To understand labor and delivery nurses' attitudes and behaviors toward pregnant patients with substance use disorders or mental health concerns. Suicide and overdose are among the leading causes of preventabl...OBJECTIVE: To understand labor and delivery nurses' attitudes and behaviors toward pregnant patients with substance use disorders or mental health concerns. Suicide and overdose are among the leading causes of preventable maternal deaths nationwide, underscoring the urgency of addressing issues related to supporting pregnant patients with behavioral health concerns. DESIGN: We surveyed a subpopulation of nurses in Colorado to understand attitudes and behaviors toward patients with substance use disorders and mental health concerns. RESULTS: Survey respondents were 154 nurses from 14 Colorado hospitals that represented 45% of the state's 2022 births: Half of the nurses reported their colleagues have negative attitudes and nearly one-third reported negative behaviors toward patients who disclose substance use. Qualitative data revealed instances of positive behaviors, with examples of supportive clinical care and resource provision for patients disclosing substance use. Negative examples described mistrust, negative attitudes, and lack of compassion toward patients, as well as instances of substandard clinical care. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, negative attitudes and behaviors were noted by some labor and delivery nurses by their colleagues toward pregnant patients with substance use disorders. Positive behaviors were also reported. Comprehensive processes to decrease negative behaviors are necessary to improve care for pregnant patients and to decrease maternal mortality from suicide and accidental overdose.
OBJECTIVE: In this study, we sought to explain how Latino family caregivers make decisions about where infants sleep using grounded theory methodology. SETTING: Latino family caregivers were recruited from the Midwest us...OBJECTIVE: In this study, we sought to explain how Latino family caregivers make decisions about where infants sleep using grounded theory methodology. SETTING: Latino family caregivers were recruited from the Midwest using purposive theoretical sampling via social media and word-of-mouth. METHODS: Participants were interviewed virtually via Zoom. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. Open coding, selective coding, and theoretical coding were used to create themes and categories. RESULTS: Forty-five Latino family caregivers participated. The basic social process of Latino family infant sleep decision-making was Caregiver Vigilance . There were three outcomes of the process ( placement in a crib, intentional bedsharing , or unintentional bedsharing ). Six factors ( pediatrician recommendations, family caregivers' beliefs about infant sleeping behaviors, grandmother's advice, postpartum fatigue, breastfeeding , and bonding ) influenced each outcome in patterned ways. CONCLUSION: Safe infant sleep decisions among caregivers in the Latino community are complex. Our findings can help nurses assess the needs of the Latino population and address intentional and unintentional bedsharing.
BACKGROUND: Keeping mothers and babies together after birth has long been described as best practice; however, most organizations in the United States move newborns requiring a higher level of care to a different unit in...BACKGROUND: Keeping mothers and babies together after birth has long been described as best practice; however, most organizations in the United States move newborns requiring a higher level of care to a different unit in the hospital. The leadership team at a level II, four-bed neonatal intensive care unit in a community hospital averaging 1,400 births per year recognized an opportunity to potentially improve the care for maternity patients and their families. INTERVENTION: Instead of high-risk newborns being cared for in the neonatal intensive care unit while their mothers were on the postpartum unit, an innovative model applied the concepts of rooming-in and couplet care in a new way, keeping mothers and their babies that need a higher level of care together. Mothers and babies remain together in a Labor-Delivery-Recovery-Postpartum/Neonatal Intensive Care (LDRP/NICU suite). METHODS: The purpose of the new model of care was to improve patient and family experiences. Data were collected for 2 years prior and for 2 years after implementation of the new model of care. Participants included birth mothers of NICU babies on their day of discharge. RESULTS: Results include improved employee and provider engagement. Birth volumes have increased since this practice change. This model of care has been successful in our facility and offers the opportunity for families to stay together throughout both mother and newborn's hospital stays.
PURPOSE: To describe women's experiences of surviving an amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) as written in their online stories. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: In this qualitative descriptive study, 50 stories of AFE that women pos...PURPOSE: To describe women's experiences of surviving an amniotic fluid embolism (AFE) as written in their online stories. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: In this qualitative descriptive study, 50 stories of AFE that women posted on the AFE Foundation website were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's thematic analysis. RESULTS: In this sample, 35 women had emergency cesarean births, 12 had vaginal births, and 3 did not mention the type of birth. In 35 of the stories, women's ethnicity could be determined. Thirty-three women were White and one each were Black and Asian. Twenty-eight mothers were primiparas and 22 were multiparas. Five themes were identified: In a Flash, Heartbreaking Loss of Memory, Arduous Trek Towards Physical Recovery, Struggling Mentally with the Aftermath of a Traumatic Birth, and It Takes a Village and Then Some. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: The five themes identified from survivors' stories of AFE provide a firsthand account of surviving this catastrophic complication of childbirth and its prolonged aftermath. Nursing interventions based on these findings can be designed to help women heal from AFE.
BACKGROUND: Intrapartum nurses are integral to the birth experience, yet their unique influence on this patient-reported outcome is not clear. The purpose of this review is to synthesize and highlight characteristics and...BACKGROUND: Intrapartum nurses are integral to the birth experience, yet their unique influence on this patient-reported outcome is not clear. The purpose of this review is to synthesize and highlight characteristics and practices of intrapartum nursing care associated with the birth experience. METHODS: A search was conducted in February and March 2024 in CINAHL, PubMed, and Scopus with keywords birth experience, birth satisfaction, and nurse. Publication date was unrestricted, as no similar review was identified. Original, peer-reviewed publications in English were included. Publications that explored mediators of the birth experience, made unclear associations, or validated instruments were excluded. The Johns Hopkins Research Evidence Appraisal Tool was used for quality assessment. Findings were presented through Maslow's hierarchy of needs. RESULTS: Twenty-five publications were included. They were published between 1989 and 2021 and present national and international data on a range of birth experience outcomes. Most publications were good or high quality. Characteristics and practices of intrapartum nursing care associated with the birth experience were those that fulfilled patients' physiological, safety, love, esteem, and self-actualization needs throughout labor and birth. DISCUSSION: Fulfilled needs set the stage for positive birth experiences, whereas unfulfilled needs were associated with negative birth experiences. Findings can be used to support intrapartum nurses in optimizing birth experience outcomes.
Thre e-dimensional (3D) printing is an emerging technology that expanded quickly into a diverse array of clinical applications over the last decade. 3D printing, often called additive manufacturing, uses specialized prin...Thre e-dimensional (3D) printing is an emerging technology that expanded quickly into a diverse array of clinical applications over the last decade. 3D printing, often called additive manufacturing, uses specialized printers to create objects through the addition of materials layer-by-layer. Using computer-aided design software via a 3D scanner or a digital camera, objects can be printed to highly precise and specific dimensions. This technology, including both the hardware and software, has applications in surgical procedures, dental implants and crowns, pharmaceuticals, and biomedical products. With the enormous potential of using 3D printing in multiple health care sectors, there is still limited usage for this technology in maternal and child health nursing practice. We provide an overview of 3D printing technology, review the current health care applications, and explore the opportunities and challenges of 3D printing in maternal and child nursing.