Ms. Aya Tomita, MHSc, RNM, Ph.D. student in Department of Midwifery and Women’s Health
Understanding the feeding behaviors of newborns, such as their sucking and rooting reflexes is important to ensure successful breastfeeding initiation and provide appropriate assistance. However, assessing the feeding behaviors of newborns in a clinical often relies on subjective judgment, which can be influenced by variations in the knowledge and experience levels of nurses or midwives.
The Infant Breastfeeding Assessment Tool (IBFAT) was developed in Canada, and has been successfully utilized in other countries to assess instinctive feeding behaviors in healthy term newborns. Unfortunately, there is currently no Japanese version of the IBFAT. To address this gap, we translated the IBFAT into Japanese and subsequently validated its reliability and validity. Our findings revealed a strong correlation in both inter-rater and intra-rater reliability, as well as concurrent validity of the Japanese version of IBFAT.
This instrument will empower healthcare professionals to provide tailored and effective support, promoting optimal breastfeeding outcomes for infants and their mothers.
Access the full paper here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2023.103670