Breastfeeding Dyads Using Vestibular Processing

Introduction:

Increasing the length and exclusivity of breastfeeding is a recognized public health priority. Breastfeeding issues, particularly with the healthy term neonate latching on or feeding with a suboptimal latch, are typical reasons for early breastfeeding discontinuation because they result in insufficient breastfeeding, poor milk transfer, and uncomfortable nipples. In addition, there are various clinical procedures for systematic latch-on and suckling assessment to improve the abilities of physicians who care for breastfeeding women.

What Is the Normal Progression of Breastfeeding?

During the initial several hours and days after giving birth, the mother and child learn to nurse together. A newborn infant should not be separated from its mother unless the separation is for medical grounds, and the newborn should be maintained skin-to-skin until the first month of life. The normal progression of breastfeeding goes through two early stages:

The Initial Stage - During the initial stage, the infant latches to the breast during self-attached nursing. Then, it self-attaches to the breast without help employing the crawling-stepping reaction.

The Second Stage - The mother and infant are referred to as collaborative nursing during the second stage. They collaborate to obtain the latch and feed if the newborn is placed skin-to-skin without separation until self-attachment is achieved.

What Are the Problems in the Breastfeeding Dyad?

Breastfeeding is connected with health advantages for both newborns and mothers. Therefore, it is encouraged to breastfeed exclusively for six months and to continue nursing until the child is at least one year old. However, in the early postpartum period (after the child is born), issues with the baby failing to latch, failing to latch correctly, and problems with the mother's experience of nursing discomfort are common. These problems lead to supplementing of breastfed infants and breastfeeding termination.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on breastfeeding, formal evaluation of breastfeeding, including observation of position, latch, and milk transfer, should be undertaken by trained caregivers at least twice daily and thoroughly documented in the record during each day in the hospital after birth. In addition, specific therapeutic procedures for evaluation and remedial intervention can help to reduce latch-on problems, poor milk transfer, and irritated nipples.

What Are the Common Positions for Breastfeeding?

Madonna or Cradle Pose - The infant is lying on its side, facing the mother, with one side of its head and torso resting on the mother's forearm, with the arm closest to the breast to be utilized.

Cross-Cradle Posture - The newborn is lying on its side, facing the mother, with its head resting on the mother's forearm of the opposite breast. This position benefits the mother of a newborn or premature infant.

Football or Clutch Pose - A sitting position in which the newborn is nestled between the mother's side of the chest and her arm. The mother's forearm supports the infant's upper torso. The infant's neck and shoulders are supported by the mother's hand. The infant's hips are bent along the back of the chair or other surface against which the mother rests.

Semi-reclining - The mother leans back, and the infant is usually prone, lying against her chest.

Side-Lying - The mother is lying on her side. The newborn is positioned on its side, chest to chest, with the mother. The infant's back is supported by the mother's arm closest to the mattress.

How to Breastfeed Using Vestibular Processing?

• Maternal Posture and Infant Position before the Initial Latch-on -

  • In the beginning, it is essential that the mother is at ease.

  • The baby's head is free to turn, and the baby's body is aligned, with the head above the hips and the legs flexed.

  • The infant is standing at the same level as the breast, and the breast is in a natural posture that allows the ducts to produce milk freely.

• Beginning Head Tilt and Nose Aligned to Nipple Position - Examine the infant's lips for a wide-open gape when the mother pushes the baby away and then back toward the breast. The absence of a gap reaction is cause for worry. A regular and inexplicable lack of gape should be looked into. The following conditions are related to this -

  • Prematurity and congenital disorders.

  • Neurologic or muscle weakness.

  • Starvation.

  • Dehydration

• The Infant’s Move to the Breast - The newborn should be placed on the breast during the gape so that the mouth remains open and the tongue spreads beyond the lower lip. The chin should be the first to reach the breast. This ensures that the lips are as far back on the breast as feasible without being turned in or unduly flanged back. The infant's head must tilt back enough to accommodate the maximum falling of the jaw. The consequent arrangement of the baby's mouth on the breast is known as an asymmetric latch, and it is distinguished by more areola visible at the baby's upper lip than the bottom.

• Position of the Nose and Chin - The nose and chin of the newborn should be near the breast. The infant's head is not positioned correctly if the chin is away from the breast, the nose is away from the breast, or both the nose and the chin are away from the breast.

What Are the Advantages of Proper Breastfeeding for an Infant?

Breastfeeding saves and enhances the quality of life even in a relatively clean environment. Researchers projected that if 90 percent of newborns were exclusively breastfed for six months, 911 fatalities would be avoided based on data from the 2005 National Immunization Survey. Other researchers discovered that, compared to 1,000 children exclusively nursed for three months, 1,000 infants never breastfed required 2,033 more office visits, 212 more days in the hospital, and 609 more medications in the first year. The following diseases can be prevented if they are breastfed properly -

• Neurological outcomes.

• Asthma and atopic allergies.

• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

• Infections and illnesses.

• Cardiovascular and metabolic disease risk.

• Childhood obesity.

Conclusion:

The early postpartum period is crucial for establishing lactation. Although neonates are born with reflexes that aid in nursing, physicians' knowledge and abilities may help with many aspects of the experience. To avoid unfavorable results for moms and newborns, it is critical that the doctor accurately assesses nursing techniques and infant milk consumption. In addition, the mechanics of milk transfer lays the groundwork for creating therapies to address common breastfeeding difficulties such as difficult latch-on, nipple damage, and a lack of nutritive suckling that might risk efficient breastfeeding.