Prenatal Breastfeeding Education: A Health Equity Approach

Breastfeeding has a direct impact on the health of individuals and communities. Despite the implementation of diverse health promotion and education strategies, global breastfeeding rates remain relatively low. Predominantly, these strategies are implemented during the prenatal period and focus on individual-level education and behavior change, with less attention paid to the structural and contextual resources necessary for breastfeeding support and education. Breastfeeding experiences are contextually shaped by social, cultural, economic, and political factors. In addition, breastfeeding education, support, and rates are influenced by complex structures such as policy. Thus, a health equity approach to guide the planning and implementation of prenatal breastfeeding education can contribute to improving breastfeeding rates for diverse individuals and populations. Drawing from critical theoretical and health equity concepts, we present an equity approach with the potential for direct application to educating parents about breastfeeding. We discuss how a health equity approach could guide policymakers and perinatal healthcare providers to ensure culturally, emotionally, and psychologically safe learning spaces to reduce access barriers to breastfeeding education. Also, the approach could tailor the learning of parents to accommodate the unique contexts of their lives, thereby optimizing their breastfeeding experiences and outcomes.