Are Hospitals Discouraging Breastfeeding?
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released their 2008 breastfeeding report card recently and it was not impressive. The report suggested that standard procedures at many birthing facilities are not supporting a woman’s chances for a successful breastfeeding experience with their newborn infants.
The CDC survey, completed by over 2500 hospitals and birth centers in the U.S., examined such practices as labor and delivery, breastfeeding assistance, mother-newborn contact and breastfeeding support after discharge. The participating facilities were scored based on a 100 point score card system. The national average was 63, but there was a wide range of scores. For example Arkansas scored a mere 48 points.
If each category were examined separately, the highest scores were earned for breastfeeding assistance such as teaching mothers helpful techniques to facilitate nursing. But nearly a quarter of the facilities reported giving supplemental formula to infants – a practice discouraged by experts as it delays establishment of successful breastfeeding. Approximately 45% reported giving sugar water to full-term healthy infants, another practice discouraged by experts.
Recommended steps to support breastfeeding in labor and delivery were overlooked such as skin to skin contact and “rooming in” – the practice of keeping mothers and babies in the same room.
Breastfeeding support offered at discharge was an unacceptable 40%. Many hospitals failed to provide post-partum follow-up visits. Instead, they sent home sample infant formula to breastfed families, another practice highly discouraged by experts. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that if a baby is successfully breastfeeding why encourage feeding infant formula???
Exclusive breastfeeding for six months of a baby’s life is recommended by most health organizations. After that mothers are encouraged to continue breastfeeding (adding additional foods to meet babies’ changing nutritional needs) through the first year or longer. Babies benefit from the antibodies in breast milk that can protect them from respiratory and digestive tract infections.
In addition, breastfeeding seems to offer cancer related protection to both mothers and babies. According to the latest report on diet and cancer risk from the American Institute for Cancer Research, breastfeeding clearly lowers a mother’s risk for both pre- and post- menopausal breast cancer. Evidence also suggests that breastfed babies are less likely to be overweight.
Concerned parents may want to check out birthing practices at their chosen facility before giving birth to assure that their breastfeeding decisions are supported.
About the author
Kathy Shattler received her Master of Science degree from Michigan State University in E. Lansing Michigan in Human Nutrition. Her twenty-two years of practice includes holding positions as a Lecturer, Chief Clinical Dietitian and Program Manager. Kathy is the Founder of Nutri-Care Consulting and is currently the Nutrition Director of www.CEU4U.COM, an online continuing education management company for Registered Dietitians and Dietetic Technicians.
