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GPIFN (UK)

A National Network of Primary Care Professionals
and Supportive Colleagues
Advocating for Improvements in Infant Feeding Practice

*** Information about Infant Feeding and COVID-19 ***

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The GP Infant Feeding Network (UK), also known as GPIFN, has developed this website as a clinical resource for General Practitioners (GPs) working in the UK. The website was developed as an independent, voluntary project by UK GPs with assistance and input from colleagues working in infant feeding, maternity and early years.

The website can be used as a basic reference for learning more about infant feeding issues that may present to the GP. It also signposts to further information from trusted independent sources.

The intention is to help GPs in the UK easily find evidence based information on infant feeding which assists their practice and enables them to complement the work of those supporting healthy infant feeding. We are not suggesting new work for GPs, or that GPs take over the responsibility for infant feeding, but rather that the information here can help GPs improve the effectiveness and quality of their own patient care in this area, which may ultimately also reduce GP workload.

Topics include:

Throughout the website we have also included quotes from mothers to illustrate the potential impact of improving GPs’ knowledge in this area.

The website is primarily intended for use by UK GPs, but other healthcare professionals may also find the content useful.  Healthcare professionals interested in connecting with the GP Infant Feeding Network can do so via our Contact page and follow on Twitter @GP_IFN.  Those working in a hospital setting may wish to visit the website of our counterpart network The Hospital Infant Feeding Network (HIFN).

The GPIFN Website Team: 

Co-Developers:

  • Dr Clare Macdonald (General Practitioner)
  • Dr Louise Santhanam (General Practitioner)

Reviewed by:

  • Dr Rachel Barnes (General Practitioner)
  • Dr Jenny Boyd (General Practitioner)
  • Dr Marie-Therese Lovis (General Practitioner)
  • Dr Sarah Little (General Practitioner)
  • Dr Jane Raja (GP Specialist Trainee)

See the ‘About GPIFN‘ page for more information.

Important Information About this Website
The information within is intended as a guide to support healthcare professionals and DOES NOT CONSTITUTE MEDICAL ADVICE for individual patients. Users of this site must exercise their own professional judgement, take personal responsibility for their own clinical decisions, and for interpretation of the materials and links within this site.
Members of the public in need of medical advice or help with infant feeding issues should consult their own healthcare professionals as appropriate (for example their Midwife, Health Visitor, Practice Nurse or GP), call NHS 111 or search the NHS Website which has a number of pages with advice on infant feeding issues and breastfeeding support. The National Breastfeeding Helpline (0300 100 0212) is open every day of the year from 9:30am to 9:30pm.
The information included here is primarily aimed at practicing UK GPs. The website does not claim to present any novel research, information or guidance on the part of the website developers or the GPIFN, but instead, collates and presents information which may specifically be useful to UK GPs, from the wealth of reliable independent information available.
We acknowledge that there are many resources available to support infant feeding and we welcome constructive suggestions for changes or the addition of materials which will be of specific interest to Primary Care professionals. You are welcome to give feedback via our contact page with any suggestions. The website will be updated periodically at which point additions or changes will be considered.
GPIFN is an independent network and this website is not associated with any UK health organisation, with the baby food industry or the infant feeding products industry. The resources signposted to in this website have been selected by GPs with an interest in infant feeding, in order to assist colleagues.
GPIFN is not a charity and is not currently in receipt of public funds. From its foundation in 2016 the time and costs of GPIFN activities have been voluntarily self-funded by the GPIFN Team members. In October 2019 First Steps Nutrition Trust kindly provided direct funding for professional updates to the GPIFN website. The website content was prepared by the authors with no payment from any source. 
 Published April 2017, Updated 8th April 2020