English summary: ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION AND BREASTFEEDING

Background

The information on alcohol consumption in relation to breastfeeding is contradictory. This study is concerned with the scientific evidence and the information given by health care professionals.

Methods

Scientific evidence from the literature was systematically reviewed using Medline. Practical information was sought from textbooks and from an Internet database intended for health care professionals. Additionally 18 public health nurses working in well-baby clinics throughout Finland and 23 medical students graduating from the University of Tampere were interviewed. The interview material was analysed using qualitative methods.

Results

Scientific evidence of alcohol consumption and its effects during breastfeeding is scant. The subject is addressed correctly, but only in a few textbooks. The advice of the public health nurse is mostly negative regarding alcohol consumption and breastfeeding. The advice of the graduating doctors is more liberal, especially among those whose work or life situations have required going deeper into the matter.

Conclusions

Professionals should be informed on alcohol and breastfeeding. Advice offered should be based on scientific knowledge and individual variations in alcohol consumption should be taken into account. The advice offered by various professional groups within health care should be consistent. To achieve this, knowledge and guidelines on alcohol consumption during breastfeeding should be more widely available in the professional literature and included in the curricula of educational institutions training health care professionals.