Article Critique
The article “The Importance of Supporting Mothers Who Breastfeed” by Rachel B. Barrientos and Paula Bylaska-Davies addresses the benefits of breastfeeding for child and maternal health as well as discusses the role that healthcare professionals play in encouraging breastfeeding and in educating parents about the benefits of breastfeeding. The authors reference several researches that have revealed that breast milk is very effective for preventing diseases, including those that develop later in life, it is an ideal natural source of nutrients and can even become a way to save money. The only frequently reported disadvantage of breastfeeding is nursing in public and it could be easily overcome by opening more private areas for breastfeeding. Furthermore, Barrientos and Bylaska-Davies discuss the effect of various socio-economic factors that influence a mother’s choice to breastfeed. In the absence of support from family and friends, as well as in a situation when breastfeeding is associated with physical discomfort, women are likely to discontinue breastfeeding in the absence of pre-natal education and training.
Child and maternal health is among the most important elements of the future of any society. Therefore, the issue of breastfeeding raised by Barrientos and Bylaska-Davies has implications that go far beyond the scope of one family. Unfortunately, parents often do not realize all the benefits of breastfeeding that is why some health and guidance from nurses is essential to ensure that parents make educated decisions about their future and the future of their baby. Therefore, the value of the article by Barrientos and Bylaska-Daviesis not only in outliningthe advantages of breastfeeding, but also in demonstrating the importance of nurses’ involvement into educating parents. The authors address their primary audience, healthcare professionals, in the attempt to create awareness and to encourage nurses to take a more active role in helping parents, in educating public and in advocating breastfeeding as a means to improve child and maternal health, to enhance the experience of raising a new-born child as well as to decrease healthcare costs in the future.
