Lactation Consultant IBCLC

International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) have a background in a health care profession and a comprehensive supplementary qualification.  They have taken an international exam (IBLCE exam) and must recertify every five years to have the title IBCLC recognized. In this way it can be ensured that an IBCLC’s knowledge always conforms to the current research.

[For more on this view or download: pdf-Document: „Job Description“, pdf-Datei, 23 KB]

The title IBCLC will be awarded to those who have successfully passed a competency-based exam, regardless of which training program on lactation management they have taken. The IBLCE exam has been held for 20 years, world-wide in a variety of languages. Recertification is required every five years. Those who are certified in this way must commit themselves to a Code of Ethics and work in accordance with the Practice Standards for IBCLCs. An independent commission for certification agencies has regularly accredited the IBLCE certification process since 1988.
[For more see www.iblce-europe.org]

International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) fulfill the conditions required of health care workers since 2004 by the EU Project “Breastfeeding Promotion”:

„Relevant health care workers should be encouraged to attend advanced lactation management courses, shown to meet best practice criteria for competence„Relevant health care workers should be encouraged to attend advanced lactation management courses, shown to meet best practice criteria for competence.“

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„In-Service Training
To offer continuing interdisciplinary education based on the WHO/UNICEF or other evidence-based courses on breastfeeding and lactation management, as part of induction and in-service education for all relevant health care staff in frontline maternity and child care areas.

3.2.3. To encourage relevant health care workers to attend accredited advanced lactation management courses and to acquire the IBCLC or equivalent certification shown to meet best practice criteria for competence.“

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More on this at:
Protection, Promotion and Support of Breastfeeding in Europe: An Action Plan

Developed and written by the participants of the project:
Promotion of Breastfeeding in Europe (EU Project Contract N. SPC 2002359)