Ajuzie Stephanie
Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Patuxent River, MD 20670, USA.
Mil Med. 2023 Jul 22;188(7-8):e2543-e2549. doi: 10.1093/milmed/usac396.
Active duty flight crew plays a critical role in military operations. The occupational demands of the flying environment require a certain level of medical suitability. Additionally, such an environment could be more hazardous for certain populations. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the World Health Organization strongly support exclusive breastfeeding for the health benefit of both the mother and the child in the first 6 months of life, the aeromedical implications of lactating are not widely discussed. Breastfeeding is inherently challenging for many women, in part because of the frequent emptying required to maintain breastmilk supply and avoid complications such as engorgement, clogged ducts, and mastitis. This pilot study evaluated the experiences of individuals concurrently breastfeeding while on active duty Naval flying status to (1) assess whether these individuals experience frequent challenges or complications associated with lactating and (2) establish the need for future expanded studies.
This survey-based, retrospective, descriptive study evaluated the experiences of 17 lactating individuals on active duty Naval flying status. Women were recruited using word of mouth and social media platforms. Responses were tabulated and summarized from the survey, which included yes/no questions and free-response sections regarding flying position, breastfeeding history, and breastfeeding challenges. This trial was approved by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Institutional Review Board (Protocol Number NAWCAD.2021.0004-IR-EP7).
Of the 27 women who received study materials after expression of interest, 17 individuals completed the informed consent and survey protocols. Although limited by sample size and the demographics of respondents, the results highlight that the active duty flying environment did impact the breastfeeding experiences of the participants, with 88% of respondents reporting some difficulty or complication associated with breastfeeding and the operational flying environment. Difficulty in maintaining breastmilk supply, engorgement, and the need for supplementation were some of the concerns discussed.
This study hypothesizes that occupational demands associated with aviation result in a decreased ability to maintain exclusive breastfeeding, an increased risk for engorgement and clogged ducts, and a higher likelihood of early weaning among Naval aviators. It included only the perspectives of Naval officers, thereby lacking the input of enlisted aircrew on flight status, who comprise a large population of active duty flyers. The responses, although limited by a lack of controls and survey limitations, indicate that a future study to expand understanding of the aeromedical implications on lactating individuals would be valuable for improving workplace support and the ultimate success of lactating women in meeting their breastfeeding goals.
现役飞行机组人员在军事行动中发挥着关键作用。飞行环境的职业要求需要一定程度的医学适应性。此外，这样的环境对某些人群可能更具危险性。虽然疾病控制与预防中心、美国儿科学会和世界卫生组织强烈支持在生命的前6个月进行纯母乳喂养，以促进母婴健康，但哺乳期的航空医学影响并未得到广泛讨论。母乳喂养对许多女性来说本身就具有挑战性，部分原因是为了维持母乳供应并避免诸如乳房胀痛、乳腺管堵塞和乳腺炎等并发症，需要频繁排空乳房。这项试点研究评估了现役海军飞行状态下同时进行母乳喂养的人员的经历，以（1）评估这些人员是否经历与哺乳相关的频繁挑战或并发症，以及（2）确定未来开展扩展研究的必要性。
这项基于调查的回顾性描述性研究评估了17名现役海军飞行状态下的哺乳期人员的经历。通过口碑和社交媒体平台招募女性。对调查中的回答进行列表和总结，调查包括是/否问题以及关于飞行岗位、母乳喂养史和母乳喂养挑战的自由回答部分。该试验获得了海军航空作战中心飞机分部（NAWCAD）机构审查委员会的批准（协议编号NAWCAD.2021.0004 - IR - EP7）。
在27名表示感兴趣后收到研究材料的女性中，17人完成了知情同意和调查方案。尽管受到样本量和受访者人口统计学特征的限制，但结果表明现役飞行环境确实影响了参与者的母乳喂养经历，88%的受访者报告了与母乳喂养和飞行操作环境相关的一些困难或并发症。讨论的一些问题包括维持母乳供应困难、乳房胀痛以及需要补充喂养。
本研究假设与航空相关的职业要求导致海军飞行员维持纯母乳喂养的能力下降、乳房胀痛和乳腺管堵塞的风险增加以及提前断奶的可能性更高。该研究仅纳入了海军军官的观点，因此缺乏现役飞行人员中占很大比例的应征空勤人员对飞行状态的看法。这些回答虽然受到缺乏对照和调查局限性的限制，但表明未来开展一项研究以扩大对哺乳期人员航空医学影响的理解，对于改善工作场所支持以及哺乳期女性最终实现母乳喂养目标将是有价值的。
