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LONG BEACH, Calif. – July 13, 2010 – Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach joins the World Health Organization (WHO), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), UNICEF and other global organizations in encouraging mothers to exclusively breastfeed for the first 6 months of their baby’s life. Studies have shown that exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of an infant’s life reduces the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, asthma, obesity, juvenile diabetes, infections and benefits mother and baby overall.
“Breastfeeding is the best prevention tool—exclusive breastfeeding is the first and most vital step toward increasing the health of newborns and preemies,” says Bonnie Henson, RN, BS, IBCLC, clinical operations manager, Perinatal Education and Lactation Support Services at the MemorialCare Center for Women at Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach. “Studies have shown that infants who are breastfed exclusively have a lower risk than formula-fed infants of becoming overweight as children and obese as adults.“
Los Angeles County has more than half of the lowest performing hospitals in California in terms of exclusive breastfeeding rates. Although 82.4% of Los Angeles mothers initiate breastfeeding, only 24.4% exclusively breastfeed within the first 1-2 days after delivery. According to a report published by the UC Davis Human Lactation Center, the biggest differentiator for hospitals ranked in the top 15 and bottom 15 was exclusive breastfeeding programs and initiatives – hospitals in LA County dominated the list as the lowest scoring hospitals. Much of the reason for these low rankings is hospital’s policies and practices aren’t supportive of exclusive breastfeeding.
Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach has taken a bold step in moving toward “Baby-Friendly designation”—declaring their commitment to the principles of establishing the highest standard possible for the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding.Baby-Friendly USA awards hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of lactation care and follow the ”Ten Steps of Successful Breastfeeding” this designation. Over the next few months the work will be finished to allow this designation. As of July 2, 2010, twenty-eight “Baby-Friendly” facilities in California have been designated; only three are in Los Angeles County.
The proclamation of Miller Children’s intent to become “Baby-Friendly” is scheduled during a Unity Walk as part of World Breastfeeding Week (August 1 – 7). World Breastfeeding Week also marks the anniversary of the Innocenti Declaration signing, where countries agreed to follow world health protocol regarding breastfeeding.
“Working toward this Baby-Friendly designation is the final step for maternity centers to start children on a healthy path in life,” says Henson. “Baby-Friendly hospital designation does not require every baby at the hospital to be breastfed. Miller Children’s will still have formula for babies who need it. We just want to give breastfeeding mothers the information, confidence, and skills needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies.”
The AAP recommends that an infant be breastfed without supplemental foods or liquids for the first 6 months of age (known as exclusive breastfeeding). In 2007, Healthy People 2010, expanded its breastfeeding objectives to include targets for breastfeeding exclusivity. The new objectives are to increase the proportion of mothers who breastfeed exclusively through 3 months to 60%, and through 6 months to 25%.
Some researchers from CDC, believe that powdered formulas should not be given to babies under the age of 4 weeks, especially in those who are premature or have chronic illness. On occasion, powdered infant formula has been associated with serious illness and death in infants due to infections with Enterobacter sakazakii, or Salmonella. When possible, a “ready-to-feed,” concentrated formula or banked human milk should be provided to those babies unable to be breastfeed.
The MemorialCare Center for Women at Miller Children’s has been promoting exclusive breastfeeding since 2003 when Miller Children’s received a $1.7 million grant from Los Angeles Children and Families-Proposition 10 Commission (also known as First 5 LA) for the breastfeeding support program. Since the program was initiated at Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach, first-hour breastfeeding rates of babies who are born without complications have dramatically risen to 74 percent—up from 28 percent seven years ago. Exclusive breastfeeding rates in new moms have improved by 16 percent.
“Significant benefit may be realized even before a hospital has completed the full path to becoming a Baby-Friendly facility,” says Henson. “A study on the impact of the hospital experience on feeding method at 8 weeks demonstrated a 10-fold increase in failure rates if no Baby-Friendly practices were in place compared to when a minimum of five Baby-Friendly practices were in place.”
Mothers who exclusively breastfeed in the hospital are much more likely to continue once they go home. A study conducted in Switzerland by UNICEF shows children born in “baby-friendly” facilities are more likely to be breastfed for a longer time, improving overall health and wellness. With a number of support services in place, including having several International Board Certified Lactation Consultants available to meet with moms interested in breastfeeding, an outpatient lactation support clinic and extensive breastfeeding education to physicians and staff Miller Children’s is well on the way becoming baby-friendly.
About Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach
Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach provides specialized pediatric care for children and young adults, with conditions ranging from common to complex—as well as maternity care for expectant mothers—all under one roof. Only five percent of all hospitals are children’s hospitals, making them unique not only to children’s health care needs in the community, but across the region. Miller Children’s is one of only eight free-standing children’s hospitals in California.
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