The Nursing Degree of the Universidad de Los Lagos of the Puerto Montt Campus in conjunction with the Nursing Department of the Universidad de Cauca in Colombia, held an international seminar entitled “Nursing and Breastfeeding, Evidence of care in the south of Chile and Colombia”, aimed at nursing students and health professionals with the objective of orienting and sensitizing the nursing professional on breastfeeding that the nursing professional must have, in addition to relieving the attachment process and the importance in physiological development along with the social commitment that details this topic.
The activity is part of the exchange and knowledge meetings developed by the Department of Health of the ULagos. On this occasion, work was done with the Chilean Scientific Society of Family and Community Nursing, SOCHIENCO, together with the Felix Gonzalez Host House, generating work networks and training for nursing professionals in training.
The journey was divided in three stages. In the first block, the “Anatomy and physiology of the maternal gland” was analyzed, by Valeska Martínez Poblete, teaching nurse, advisor / counselor in Breastfeeding. Secondly, a discussion was held on the Human Milk Bank, led by Diana Tobar Chaves, nurse advisor and external evaluator of the IIAMI strategy in Colombia. And at the close, the conversation “Advice on Breastfeeding, the Role of Nursing” was conducted by Claudia Castro Garzon, Nurse Coordinator of Neonatal Intensive Care of the Susana Lopez Hospital of Valencia in Popayan-Colombia.
Valeska Martinez, breastfeeding advisor, explained that breast milk is the most important food of a baby and does not transmit covid-19. “Since April or May we had no knowledge of the consequences of the virus, that is why breast-feeding was in question. It was not known whether the virus could be transmitted through breast milk. Some mothers were separated from their children, other children had their breastfeeding stopped. Today we can say that in mothers with Covid-19 it is suggested that mothers breastfeed girls and boys, taking precautions, but no virus has been found in childbirth or milk, so we can ensure that with pandemic or without pandemic, breast milk is the food par excellence of the human species”.
Vanessa Flórez, nurse and professor at the Universidad de Cauca in Colombia, commented on the benefits of breast milk. “Breast milk is essential in the life of the human being. Therefore, it is essential to breastfeed children in their first two years, since it provides the nutritional requirements they need. It is the fastest, easiest and most natural way and strengthens the bond of love between mother and child. Breast milk is the best food a mother can offer a baby, because it has multiple advantages in properties and nutrients that no food can replace,” said the co-organizer of the international seminar.
Clara Ivonne Lopez Andrade, professor of Nursing at ULagos and part of the organization of the event, detailed the collaborative work being done with the Colombian University, in addition to visibility into the work of health professionals on the subject of breastfeeding and the responsibilities of the nursing professional. “Together with colleagues Ana Maria Araya Ugarte of the Universidad de Los Lagos and Vanessa Florez of the Nursing Department of the Universidad de Cauca, we created this network for students, With the intention of complementing her training on the importance of breastfeeding and the role of the nursing professional, in addition to making the professional exercise in this fundamental work visible to the community”, concluded the teacher of the ULagos.
Lopez added that there is a working relationship with Sochienco that seeks improvement and what better than to do it in the undergraduate stage. “The Scientific Society of Family and Community Nursing takes part in this event with the idea of generating training and improvement instances for nurses in formation. Having the support and sponsorship of this seminar allowed us to highlight its relevance and perspectives to continue with a more detailed work for next year, “concluded the nurse.
The nursing career of the state university of the region, implemented a satisfaction survey at the end of the seminar, collecting suggestions to deepen on the subject treated. In addition, the seminar has had more than 1,500 reproductions on the social networks of the Casa Félix Shelter (watch Seminar). Finally, by 2021, the Nursing career aims to replicate the seminar and expand its coverage to other countries in the region.
