Breastfeeding offers significant health benefits for both mothers and infants, particularly preterm infants, where it serves as a therapeutic strategy to reduce mortality and morbidities. However, breastfeeding practices are threatened globally by societal norms and systemic barriers at both micro and macro levels. This paper explores the complex interplay of these barriers and facilitators, focusing on the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) setting. Preterm infants face specific feeding challenges due to immature physiological functions, yet evidence supports that strategies like cue-based feeding and individualized care can enhance feeding success and health outcomes. For mothers, initiating and maintaining lactation after preterm birth is critical but challenging, with early lactation support and achieving sufficient milk volume being key predictors of success. Partner support significantly influences lactation outcomes, although more inclusive research is needed for diverse family structures. In the NICU, a multidisciplinary approach to lactation care is vital, emphasizing the need for experienced staff and family-centered practices. NICU design, policies promoting parental presence, and adherence to Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative guidelines further support breastfeeding. This paper aims to provide directives for local breastfeeding policies through an integrated approach, considering societal attitudes and healthcare practices. The findings advocate for improved lactation support in NICUs, inclusive language and policies, and further research into diverse familial and gender roles in breastfeeding.

Establishing lactation when mother and infant are separated, such as when the neonate is admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), is challenging. The most common clinical advice is to express milk eight or more times per day, every 3 hours, around the clock. Sometimes, the first time that parents hear this is after the birth of their baby. This can be overwhelming and sometimes unachievable. A five-step paradigm shift is proposed that refocuses lactation care on providing evidence-based assistance and ongoing clinical education, and assessment beginning prenatally and extending past maternal discharge, to improve outcomes through curated support. Simple guidelines can begin with expressing milk at least five times a day by Day 5 of life (5 × 5), and expressing milk at least once between 0100 and 0500 (overnight pumping). With these measures, neonatal care in the NICU setting can provide personalized and achievable guidance on pumping schedules.

Psychosocial predictors of breastfeeding and changes in those factors during pregnancy, along with the relationship of those changes with both breastfeeding and smoke use and exposure, are not well explored.

Professor Joao Aprigio Guerra de Almeida graduated in Food Engineering (UFV-1981) with a Master in Microbiology (UFV-1986) and a doctorate in Women's and Children's Health (Fiocruz/IFF, 1998) He is founder and coordinator of the Brazilian Human Milk Banks Network (Ministry of Health-Brasil/Oswaldo Cruz Foundation-Fiocruz, 1987 to 2024); Head of the National Reference Center for Human Milk Banks at the National Institute of Women, Children and Adolescent Health Fernandes Figueira-IFF (Fiocruz/IFF, 1987 to 2024); Executive Secretary of the Ibero-American Human Milk Banks Network Program (Ibero-American General Secretariat-SEGIB/Brazilian Cooperation Agency-ABC/MS-FIOCRUZ, 2008 to 2020); Coordinator of International Technical Cooperation in Human Milk Banks ABC/Fiocruz/MS (2005 to 2024); and Coordinator of the Human Milk Banks Network of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries - CPLP (2017 to 2024). He has been recognized with the Sasakawa Health Prize (World Health Organization [WHO], 2001); as Officer of the Order of Rio Branco (Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil, 2001); with Global Health Challenges and Responses of the South in Time of Crisis (WHO, 2009); as Commendator of the Order of Rio Branco-Ministry of Foreign Affairs/Presidency of the Federative Republic of Brazil (2018); and Dr LEE Jong-wook Memorial Prize for Public Health (WHO, 2020). His areas of activity include Public Health, breastfeeding, Human Milk Banks, Public Management, and International Technical Cooperation.

Medical students should have adequate knowledge and positive attitudes toward breastfeeding to support breastfeeding dyads. No studies in Croatia have explored breastfeeding knowledge, attitudes or intentions among medical students.

Despite increasing breastfeeding initiation rates in the United States, disparities in breastfeeding continuation and exclusivity by race and ethnicity persist.

Favipiravir is a known anti-influenza agent that has been used globally, especially during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This drug has been important for treating influenza and other emerging infectious diseases, although it was ultimately proven to be ineffective for COVID-19. Currently, no studies have reported the human-milk transfer of favipiravir at doses of 1,600-3,600 mg/day in the treatment of diseases, including COVID-19.

Anwar Fazal has been a driving force in the founding of several civil society organizations in the areas of health, human rights, environment, and peace, that have been at the forefront of activism locally, nationally, and globally. In this interview, he shares his journey of 6 decades, involving a multiverse of public interest issues, which led him into the breastfeeding movement. It began with the setting up of the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN), a pioneering action that triggered the formation of Health Action International (HAI), Pesticide Action Network (PAN), and the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA). Each of these resulted in several unique frameworks and codes relating to the marketing of infant foods, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides. They also led to the formation of World Breastfeeding Week, now being celebrated globally. Anwar studied Economics at the University of Malaya and did his postgraduate studies in Education. Anwar has served as a visiting professor at the University of Science Malaysia and the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). He is the recipient of the Right Livelihood Award, popularly known as the "Alternative Nobel Prize," for his work on breastfeeding and infant nutrition and other health, environmental, and consumer issues. La Leche League International (LLLI) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have honored him with the International Health Award and the Millennium Development Goals Award. He has written extensively on breastfeeding. He is currently Chairperson Emeritus of the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) and continues to speak out actively on protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding.

Web-based prenatal education is increasingly employed, but its association with increased breastfeeding and predictors of breastfeeding success is uncertain.

Globally, rising trends in gestational diabetes and body mass index contribute to maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Lifestyle modifications and breastfeeding may reverse this effect, although few studies combine these into one intervention.

The importance of a child receiving their mother's own milk (MOM) in the care and treatment of preterm infants is undisputed in the literature. Despite this, lactation support in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is often fragmented. Gaps in adequate lactation care for infants receiving MOM, and barriers to that lactation care, can contribute to healthcare disparities and outcome inequalities. Here, I outline a comprehensive lactation care manager model based on the concepts of continuity of care and care management. This is a starting point for discussion that may be helpful in informing future research and adequate lactation care options.

The number of validated questionnaires that assess the level of breastfeeding competence of primary care professionals who attend lactating mothers is limited.

Pasteurized donor human milk provides a safe and desirable alternative when a parent's own milk is insufficient or unavailable. Currently, the demand for donor human milk exceeds the available supply. Little is known about the beliefs breastfeeding individuals have about milk bank donation.

Human milk feeding rates in the United Kingdom are a public health concern. Changes to United Kingdom policy and practice are needed to improve lactation support. These should be informed by those with lived experience of human milk feeding and those who provide support.

Health systems are fundamental to the promotion and protection of breastfeeding. Health professionals have a pivotal influence on families' infant feeding decisions and may act as facilitators or barriers to adequate breastfeeding practices.

Pumping is a common practice in the United States, but it can be uncomfortable and lead to concerns about milk supply. The fit of the flange, or breast shield, used while pumping can contribute to or alleviate these problems. Flanges are available in a wide variety of sizes, and there are inconsistencies in guidance provided by healthcare providers and pump manufacturers for parents choosing a size. There have been no studies comparing different methods of sizing in terms of comfort and milk output.