Breastfeeding rates in Europe are among the lowest in the world. Yet breastfeeding supports the health of both infants and mothers and helps reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases. Despite these well-established benefits, many families face challenges with breastfeeding due to insufficient support and limited access to reliable breastfeeding counselling.
This is why healthcare professionals play such an important role. They can support parents, answer their questions, and help them make informed decisions. However, studies show considerable variation in breastfeeding counselling skills among healthcare professionals, and breastfeeding education still receives limited attention in medical curricula. To help strengthen knowledge and practical skills in this area, the JA PreventNCD project has developed the BreastFEEDucation online course.
The course builds on the Norwegian educational programme AmmE-læring and aims to strengthen breastfeeding counselling skills by providing up-to-date scientific knowledge alongside practical tools that support everyday clinical practice.
BreastFEEDucation is a free online course available in English. It takes approximately 20 hours to complete and combines the latest scientific evidence with practical learning activities, including:
- short expert lectures,
- real-life case studies,
- visual learning materials,
- interactive exercises and assesments.
Participants will develop the skills needed to assess breastfeeding situations, support families, and provide breastfeeding counselling throughout different stages of maternal and child care.
BreastFEEDucation has been developed by an international team of experts in breastfeeding and lactation. The course is aligned with WHO and UNICEF Baby-Friendly standards and is available as a free, non-commercial educational resource. It also incorporates materials developed by the World Health Organization.
The course is particularly recommended for:
- healthcare professionals working with pregnant women, newborns, and families,
- medical and healthcare students,
- professionals involved in maternal and child healthcare,
- universities and higher education institutions educating future healthcare professionals.
The aim of the course is to strengthen the competencies of healthcare professionals so that parents can receive high-quality breastfeeding support in line with international recommendations.
The course is available at the link.
We warmly invite you to register and participate!
