All of our protocols are the work of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine through the Protocol Committee. The process is long and labor-intensive, with all who are part of it volunteers. We have expert “lead contributors” who do the primary research, first producing an annotated bibliography with levels of evidence as per the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which now inform our recommendations. The annotated bibliographies are available as a member benefit on the Members Only webpage of our website (www.bfmed.org/). After the lead contributors draft the protocol, it is sent to expert reviewers both in the United States and abroad. These experts send us their comments, which are incorporated into the protocol. It is then reviewed by the Protocol Committee, a dedicated, hard-working group of 11 ABM members who each review the document and make comments, and then these are incorporated into the protocol. It is finally sent to the ABM Board of Directors for their comments. And, you guessed it—those are incorporated, or not, as deemed appropriate. At this stage, the protocol may be sent back to the original primary contributors to make sure they are in agreement with all the comments/additions/deletions that have occurred. Then, and only then, is it sent to the ABM Board for vote, and it must pass by a minimum two-thirds majority vote (to this point they all have passed unanimously), before it can be submitted in final form for publication in our journal Breastfeeding Medicine, posted on our website, and released to all for use. Our protocols also have passed the rigorous requirements of the National Guidelines Clearinghouse and are posted on their website (www.guideline.gov/). The process stops here—for 5 years—at which point all protocols must be reviewed and revised as per any new literature that has been published. So the process then begins again.
The Protocol Committee would like to extend our thanks and gratitude to our global expert reviewers of 2010–2011. Without their invaluable assistance, our protocols would not attain the level of excellence they are known for. Thank you!
Canada:
Anna Taddio, M.D.
Chile:
Veró nica Valdés, M.D.
Japan:
Susumu Ito, M.D., Ph.D.
Kazue Nakamura, M.D.
Tetsuya Takamasu, M.D.
Kenya:
Racheal Musoke, M.D.
United States:
Lisa H. Akers, M.S., R.D.
Philip O. Anderson, Pharm.D.
Jeanne D. Blankenship, M.S., R.D.
Miriam Labbok, M.D.
M. Jeffrey Maisels, M.D.
Joan Meek, M.D.
Audrey Naylor, M.D.
Thomas Newman, M.D.
Anthony H. Repucci, M.D.
W. Alan Walker, M.D.
