Posted Date: 1/29/2008
With a recent increase in internal initiatives to increase breastfeeding rates, Kaweah Delta Hospital got a boost from the California Department of Public Health. Kaweah Delta is one of four hospitals in the San Joaquin Valley to be chosen to receive funds through the Birth and Beyond program.
The Birth and Beyond program provides training and technical assistance to improve breastfeeding rates which are very low throughout the Central Valley. Tulare County exclusive breastfeeding rates are the second to lowest in the State of California.
“We look forward to providing staff education, training for the hospital based educators and support to the in-hospital team working on breastfeeding quality improvement,” said Karen Peters, Executive Director of the Breastfeeding Task Force of Greater Los Angeles.
A report issued on November 14, 2007 by the University of California at Davis, Human Lactation Center (UCD HLC) and sponsored by the California WIC Association (CWA) ranked nearly every hospital in the state in terms of the rate of new mothers who breastfeed while in the hospital. The analysis revealed stark differences in rates, with a concentration of low-performing hospitals in Central Valley counties, and demonstrated that the breastfeeding gap was greatest in hospitals serving many ethnic low-income mothers and babies. But the report went on to show that, when hospitals improve their newborn feeding policies and practices, they can dramatically increase their breastfeeding rates.
“Mothers value hospital support to help them achieve successful exclusive breastfeeding. Since we know that exclusive breastfeeding is associated with better infant and maternal health outcomes including lower risk for childhood overweight, this is especially important for our low-income moms and babies who are at increased risk for overweight,” noted Wendy Slusser, MD, UCLA School of Medicine.
The American Academy of Pediatrics encourages mothers to breastfeed exclusively for the first 6 months, as it is the healthiest way to feed new babies and is clearly the preferred feeding method for most new mothers. “The first 48 hours after birth is a critical time for women who breastfeed, as it’s during those first few days that milk production begins,” noted Jane Heinig, PhD, IBCLC and Executive Director of the UCD HLC. Heinig added, “While breastfeeding is a natural process, many new moms have difficulty getting started. In the past, female relatives living nearby helped women successfully initiate breastfeeding. Today, with most women giving birth in hospitals, the responsibility to give mothers that support has fallen to the medical profession. With supportive policies and practices in place, staff can help new mothers of all income levels and ethnicities to follow-through with their plans to breastfeed their babies.”
“When model policies and practices are implemented, exclusive breastfeeding rates increase. It is amazing how creating a hospital environment that truly supports women who want to breastfeed, the gap between those mothers who leave the hospital breastfeeding and supplementing with formula and those mothers who leave the hospital exclusively breastfeeding narrows for all women of all income levels and ethnicities,” said Peters.
Kaweah Delta has recently stepped up efforts in increasing breastfeeding rates through many avenues. A task force made up of pediatricians, neonatologists, nurses and lactation specialists has been formed to help put together materials that can be shared with patients at primary care, OB/GYN and other physician offices. The goal is a three-pronged approach to educate women before, during and after pregnancy so the decision to breastfeed is made before the baby is born making it easier for hospital staff to effectively teach proper techniques in the hospital setting.
In addition, Kaweah Delta nurses and International Board Certified Lactation Educators on the mom-and-baby unit are helping new moms through the trials of breastfeeding before she goes home. They also see outpatients by appointment for more complex breastfeeding problems. Moms that commit to breastfeed exclusively are entered into a monthly drawing for a breast pump worth more than $200. Each month a new mom receives a pump to help assist with her breastfeeding efforts. The Paradise House also offers breastfeeding help over the phone and on location.
For more information, please call 624-5985.
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