Page 60 - Encyclopedia of Nursing Research

BreASTFeeDING n 27

as a catalyst for the development of middle- recognition that breastfeeding is a health care
range theories addressing more specific phe- behavior. National and international policies
nomena of nursing as caring in the realms of and recommendations from nongovernmen- B
nursing administration, practice, and edu- tal organizations, national governments, and
cation. examples of middle-range theories medical organizations have been developed
on the basis of nursing as caring include the on the basis of compelling research and
theory of technological competence as car- include the U.S. Department of Health and
ing in the critical care nursing (locsin, 1998), Human Services (2000) Healthy People 2010
Dunphy’s (1998) “circle of caring” model for goals, the U.S. Surgeon General’s “Blueprint
advanced practice nursing, an acute care for Action on Breastfeeding” (Satcher, 2001),
model grounded in the perspective of nurs- and the World Health Organization’s Global
ing as caring (Boykin et al., 2003), a model of Strategy for Infant and Young child Feeding
nursing education with application to online (World Health Organization/United Nations
education grounded in caring (Purnell, 2006), children’s Fund, 2003).
and the innovative approach of eggenberger Historically, a large discrepancy exists
and keller (2008) developing a nursing as car- in the United States between breastfeeding
ing model for nursing simulations. rates, especially according to income, educa-
tion, race, and ethnicity (Ahluwalia, Morrow,
Mary Angelique Hill Hsia, & Grummer-Strawn, 2003; Watkins &
Dodgson, 2010). Nursing research has focused
on meeting the needs of these vulnerable
populations, recognizing that continuity of
BReasTfeeding care and support systems, including health
care professional support play a large role in
women’s success to breastfeed, their intended
Breastfeeding provides nutritional, immuno- duration.
logical, cognitive, and psychological benefits Major areas studied by nurse scholars
for young children. A burgeoning body of include breastfeeding interventions (Ahmed
research has identified the unique properties & Sands, 2010; Pate, 2009; Spiby et al., 2009;
and unreplicable living tissue transferred to Watkins & Dodgson, 2010), support for breast-
infants and children through breastfeeding feeding mothers (Declercq, labbok, Sakala, &
and the effect on health outcomes. A report O’Hara, 2009; kearvell & Grant, 2010; Nelson,
from the Agency for Healthcare Quality and 2007), maternal self-confidence (Hauck, Hall,
research screened 9,000 studies in devel- & Jones, 2007; Mccarter-Spaulding & Gore,
oped countries with a meta-analysis of the 2009; Pollard & Guill, 2009), effect of pacifier
health impact of breastfeeding on infants use (chapman, 2009; Declercq et al., 2009;
and women. According to this report, infants kronborg & væth, 2009), effect of the Baby-
who are breastfed had a reduced risk of Friendly Hospital Initiative on breastfeeding
acute otitis media, atopic dermatitis, gas- (Bartick, Stuebe, Shealy, Walker, & Grummer-
trointestinal infections, lower respiratory Strawn, 2009; Duyan Çamurdan et al., 2007;
tract disease, asthma, obesity, type 2 diabe- Hannula, kaunonen, & Tarkka, 2008; Merten,
tes, childhood leukemia, and sudden infant Dratva, & Ackermann-liebrich, 2005; reddin,
death syndrome (SIDS). Mothers who breast- Pincombe, & Darbyshire, 2007), postpartum
feed had a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, depressions effect on infant feeding (Dennis
breast cancer, and ovarian cancer (Ip et al., & kingston, 2008; Dennis & McQueen, 2009;
2007). Documentation of the superiority of Henderson, evans, Straton, Priest, & Hagan,
breastfeeding to the health and well-being of 2003), and ethnic diversity and low-income
infants, children, and women has led to the effect on breastfeeding (Bulk-Bunschoten,