Author: Daniela Volzberger, IBCLC, Academic Expert in Early Life Care
Author Information and Disclosure of Conflicts of InterestAbstract
Breastfeeding is the optimal form of nutrition for babies and promotes the mother-child bond. Sick newborns, in particular, benefit from receiving breast milk. To get breastfeeding off to a good start, early professional advice and continuous support are essential. This article presents the case of a family whose child was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect during pregnancy and required intensive medical treatment after birth. It shows how close cooperation with the community midwife, continuous IBCLC breastfeeding counselling and interdisciplinary teamwork enabled a successful start to breastfeeding for both mother and child.
Keywords: case report, congenital heart defect, lactation support, interdisciplinary cooperation
How to cite: Volzberger D: Supporting Newborns with Congenital Heart Defects at the Start of Breastfeeding. Lactation & Breastfeeding 2025;4:02.
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Daniela Volzberger has been an IBCLC since 2007. She works in the outpatients’ breastfeeding clinic at Kepler University Hospital in Linz and completed the university programme Early Life Care at the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg. Daniela supports families with diverse breastfeeding questions and plays an active role in fostering in-house learning and promoting breastfeeding. As an academic expert in Early Life Care, she greatly values holistic support. Moreover, Daniela is a certified Luna Yoga teacher and supports women during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and beyond.
The author declares that she has no conflicts of interest or financial relationships with commercial products.