Impact of introducing a lactation consultant into a neonatal unit.

Aim: Benefits of mothers' own milk (MOM) for premature and sick neonates are well documented. To increase access, many neonatal units have a lactation consultant (LC) on staff. This study aimed to assess the impact of a permanent LC on (i) maternal access to LC support; (ii) staff confidence in providing Breast Feeding (BF) education and (iii) provision of MOM.