CBC CBC Breastfeeding Support & Lactation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A breast counselor notices an infant has a short lingual frenulum limiting tongue movement during feeding. This condition is called:
- Cleft palate
- Ankyloglossia (Correct answer)
- Macroglossia
- Retrognathia
Correct answer: Ankyloglossia
Ankyloglossia (tongue-tie) restricts the tongue's range of motion and is a common cause of ineffective latch and poor milk transfer.
Question 2: Which of the following is a key indicator that a newborn is transferring sufficient milk during a breastfeeding session?
- Infant falls asleep within 5 minutes
- Audible swallowing and active suckling pattern (Correct answer)
- Mother feels no discomfort during feeding
- Infant feeds for less than 10 minutes per side
Correct answer: Audible swallowing and active suckling pattern
Audible swallowing combined with nutritive suckling (suck-swallow-breathe rhythm) confirms effective milk transfer.
Question 3: Mastitis is best defined as:
- Blocked milk duct without infection
- Inflammatory condition of the breast, often with infection (Correct answer)
- Benign breast cyst formation
- Overproduction of breast milk
Correct answer: Inflammatory condition of the breast, often with infection
Mastitis involves breast inflammation, frequently caused by bacterial infection (commonly Staphylococcus aureus), and presents with redness, warmth, pain, and fever.
Question 4: When counseling a mother with mastitis, continuing breastfeeding on the affected side is generally recommended because:
- It reduces fever more quickly
- Emptying the breast prevents abscess formation and maintains milk supply (Correct answer)
- Breast milk becomes more nutritious during infection
- It speeds antibiotic absorption
Correct answer: Emptying the breast prevents abscess formation and maintains milk supply
Continued breastfeeding or milk expression from the affected breast helps drain the obstruction, reducing abscess risk and protecting long-term supply.
Question 5: Which vitamin is synthesized in the skin via sunlight and is commonly LOW in exclusively breastfed infants in the US, requiring supplementation?
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Vitamin D
Breast milk contains minimal vitamin D, so the AAP recommends 400 IU/day of vitamin D supplementation for all breastfed infants.
Question 6: A breast counselor is supporting a mother who wants to resume breastfeeding after an interruption. This practice is called:
- Relactation (Correct answer)
- Induced lactation
- Galactagogue therapy
- Transitional nursing
Correct answer: Relactation
Relactation refers to rebuilding or reestablishing milk production in a mother who has previously breastfed and then stopped.
CBC CBC Breastfeeding Support & Lactation 2
A breast counselor notices an infant has a short lingual frenulum limiting tongue movement during feeding.
This condition is called: