The management of labor and delivery and its implications for breastfeeding

ABSTRACT

The main professional organizations of obstetrical and pediatric care providers in the United States and Puerto Rico have issued official position papers in favor of breastfeeding. Routine labor and delivery practices, however, constitute frequent barriers for the initiation, type and duration of breastfeeding. Many of these practices, moreover, lack the scientific basis to justify their routine use. We analyze in this article some of the most common obstetrical practices and their impact on breastfeeding.