Research on Family Support Services for Breastfeeding in China

Breastfeeding is a critical public health issue safeguarding maternal and infant health, and family support services serve as the core pillar for improving breastfeeding rates and extending breastfeeding duration. Based on multidisciplinary perspectives including Social Support Theory and Family Systems Theory, this study systematically reviews the development status of family support services for breastfeeding in China and analyzes the core contradictions between service supply and demand. The research finds that current services are plagued by fragmented supply systems, unbalanced resource allocation, shortages of professional talents, homogenized service content, as well as inadequate family cognition and absent supportive roles. These problems stem from insufficient policy guarantees, limited resource investment, outdated sociocultural perceptions, and inadequate professional education. Accordingly, this study proposes optimized pathways aligned with China's national conditions from four dimensions: improving the policy guarantee system, constructing a multi-stakeholder collaborative service model, strengthening the development of professional talent teams, and enhancing family and social awareness.