The Mother-Baby Assessment (MBA): An "Apgar Score" for Breastfeeding

Abstract

Communication about breastfeeding among health workers is hampered by the lack of a standardized method of documentation for breastfeeding. Scoring methods previously described by Matthews, Jenks, and Bocar and Shrago focus on the baby's behavior. I am proposing a "Mother-Baby Assessment (MBA) Score," a ten-point assessment of maternal and infant breastfeeding behavior. The assessment system may be used to track the progress of a motherbaby pair as they learn how to breastfeed, and also may be useful in hospital charting, when making referrals, when practicing triage, or when conducting research.