title: Breastfeeding Education: Where Are We Going? A Systematic Review Article.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  UNICEF (United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund) and WHO estimate that if all babies were breastfed for at least the first six months of their lives, the rate of morbidity and malnutrition would significantly decrease all over the world. In this view, these two organizations promoted a worldwide campaign for breastfeeding, creating the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) that encourages good practices for the promotion of breastfeeding in hospitals. The aim of our study was to review the available evidence regarding the positive effects of breastfeeding, in order to suggest to most appropriate strategy to support it.
  
  
  METHODS
  The main databases including Scopus, PubMed, MEDLINE, Google scholar and Science Direct were researched to obtain the original papers related to breastfeeding education. The main terms used to literature search were "Breastfeeding education", Breastfeeding support", and "Breastfeeding healthcare policy". The timeframe included the obtained articles was from 1980 to 2015.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our analysis confirms that healthcare providers play a pivotal role in education and encouraging mothers to begin and continue breastfeeding. In this view, the adequate training of healthcare providers seems to be mandatory in order to support this practice. Moreover, adequate facilities are needed in order to promote and support breastfeeding.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Considering the available evidence, breastfeeding should be supported among all the mothers. Based on the positive data emerging from the public awareness campaign in different Countries of the world, we strongly encourage an accurate training for doctors and midwives and the implementation of adequate facilities in order to support breastfeeding.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Obstetrics and Gynecology, ASST Cremona, Cremona, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Adriana
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Burgio
authors.affiliation: Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood "G. Barresi", University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio Simone
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Laganà
authors.affiliation: School of Midwifery, University of Messina, Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sicilia
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Urology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Romana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Prosperi Porta
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Urology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Policlinico Umberto I, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Grazia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Porpora
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Reproduction, University Medical Center Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ban Frangež
authors.affiliation: Unit of Nursing and Midwifery Administration, A.O.U. "Gaetano Martino", Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: DI Venti
authors.affiliation: Unit of Nursing and Midwifery Administration, A.O.U. "Gaetano Martino", Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Onofrio
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Triolo
keywords: Breastfeeding; Education; Strategy