Breastfeeding training in Mexican health students may not be enough: A case analysis

Abstract

Background: Breastfeeding education is key to undergraduate nursing, nutrition, and medicine students' study programs. All students should be prepared to support and inform mothers about the best infant feeding methods. However, students may not be receiving adequate training to provide this support during their preparation.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore if the Learning Units of the study programs of the bachelor's degrees in medicine, nursing, and nutrition, incorporate theoretical/practical content regarding breastfeeding and to evaluate whether these contents cover requirements related to knowledge and skills in breastfeeding recommended by international organizations for student's health area.

Design: Descriptive.

Methods: In the study programs of the bachelor's degrees, we identified the Learning Units that described theoretical/practical contents related to the subject of breastfeeding, to later contrast this training with the objectives in knowledge and skills in breastfeeding that the students in the health area should receive during their academic education, according to international recommendations.

Results: The three study programs offer content on breastfeeding. The degrees in nursing and medicine manage to review a more significant number of training contents, unlike nutrition. However, the knowledge and skills targeted and identified do not seem to approach the knowledge and skills recommended by international institutions.

Conclusions: Several knowledge and skills need to be addressed during the training of health students. Thematic content and educational strategies must be improved and implemented to improve their breastfeeding training.

Keywords: Breastfeeding; Curriculum; Education; Knowledge; Medical students; Nursing students; Nutrition students/nutritionist; Skills.