Check here for a selection of freely available evidence-based resources. Developed by or in collaboration with our partners at world-leading organisations, universities and research centres, these valuable tools and educational materials are designed to cultivate thriving, sustainable breastfeeding environments and robust maternal and child health programmes.
LactaHub – A resource for evidence-based breastfeeding intelligence
This open access knowledge platform provides scientific and evidence-based information to help health professionals, decision-makers and researchers be more effective in their daily work. LactaHub is a partnership project with The Global Health Network (University of Oxford).
LactaMap – An online lactation care support system
Evidence-based and developed with The University of Western Australia to help healthcare providers resolve breastfeeding challenges and ensure consistent care for breastfeeding mothers and their infants. Included is LactaPedia – A glossary of lactation for science and medicine and go-to source for standardised, research-based terminology on lactation, breastfeeding and breastmilk.
LactaMedia – A Clinical Image Collection on LactaHub
Newly updated and ready for health professionals at its new home. The 100-plus and growing collection of educational photos and videos of lactating women, often with their breastfeeding infants, is appropriate for training, presenting and assisting patients. Images depict specific topics like breastfeeding positions, breast variations, stages of breastmilk or anatomical challenges of mother or infant. Each is IBCLC reviewed and approved and exclusively for nonprofit, educational, medical or scientific use.
Becoming Breastfeeding Friendly (BBF): A Guide to Global Scale-Up
This evidence-informed global initiative from the Yale School of Public Health targets data-driven, concrete measures countries can take to sustainably increase breastfeeding rates. The BBF process helps countries identify the strength of their breastfeeding environment and develop recommendations and plans to scale up their breastfeeding policies and programmes.
Breastfeeding and Breast Milk – from Biochemistry to Impact
The evidence-based reference book presents a holistic, scientifically robust overview from 30 leading experts in medicine, sociology, political science, culture, economics and more. Free online or via PDF in English and German, Breastfeeding and Breast Milk explores the influence of breastfeeding and breastmilk on children’s health and development, and is a valuable resource for decision-makers and health professionals alike.
EFBRI – An Evolving Ethical Framework Informing Breastfeeding Research and Interventions
Built by the University of Zurich to streamline research processes for people working with breastfeeding mothers and children, it compiles ethical principles from established international standards. The aim is to help researchers align their work to universal research ethics standards confidently and efficiently and safeguard the rights and dignity of everyone involved in breastfeeding and lactation research.
INTERGROWTH-21st Preterm Postnatal Growth Standards and Feeding Protocol
Globally validated growth standards, feeding protocols, clinical tools and practical training materials – all created to improve preterm infant health outcomes. The package was produced by the International Fetal and Newborn Growth Consortium for the 21st Century, a global, multidisciplinary network of more than 300 researchers and clinicians worldwide, and coordinated by the University of Oxford.
PROVIDE – A Training Compendium on Providing Mothers’ Own Milk in NICU Settings
Produced by Rush University Medical Center, the evidence-based educational resource is designed to help healthcare professionals implement lifesaving mothers’ own milk feeding practices for infants in intensive care worldwide. It covers MOM feeding and lactation care essentials with information sheets (in English and Spanish) and videos.
A Resource Toolkit for Establishing and Integrating Human Milk Banks
Compiled by a group of international experts, this compendium of standards and best practices can help communities set up and operate safe, high-quality and sustainable human milk banks – a lifesaving alternative for babies that lack access to their own mothers’ milk. The toolkit can guide implementation of human milk banks as integrated programmes within existing newborn and nutrition programming, to improve survival and long-term health for vulnerable infants.
aha! Swiss Allergy Centre
Offers a wealth of educational information about the causes, prevention and treatment of allergies and intolerances, and breastfeeding’s leading role in allergy prevention. Resources for healthcare professionals and the general public are available, covering topics such as allergies/intolerances, asthma, eczema/skin reactions.