Saturday, 27 August 2011

[CDC, Office of Women's Health, Health Matters for Women] Hospitals Need Better Maternity Care Practices

Photo: Mother and childBreastfeeding helps protects children from obesity. In the US, most mothers want ? and try ? to breastfeed. Unfortunately, even moms who want to breastfeed have a hard time without hospital support. The CDC Vital Signs report, Hospital Practices to Support Breastfeeding ? United States, 2007 and 2009, shows 96 percent of hospitals lack maternity care policies and practices that fully support moms to be able to breastfeed. Hospitals can do more to make sure every mother can start and continue breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding, An Important Step To Protect Against Childhood Obesity

In the US, 1 preschooler in 5 is overweight, and half of these are obese. Obese children are more likely to become obese adults who suffer from chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

A baby's risk of becoming overweight goes down with each month of breastfeeding. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that healthy babies only be given breast milk for about the first six months of life. When babies are fed formula, their risks are higher for obesity and other illnesses.

Baby-Friendly Hospitals are Breastfeeding Friendly Hospitals

With nearly 500 babies born in US hospitals every hour, hospitals play a vital role in helping moms be able to breastfeed. Separating mothers and babies, or routinely giving formula to breastfeeding babies makes it harder for mothers to breastfeed. Experts recommend Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding that hospitals can take to support breastfeeding moms and help them to continue feeding only breast milk at home:

The international Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative recognizes hospitals that follow the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding by designating them Baby -Friendly. Only 5 percent of babies are born in Baby-Friendly hospitals.

Photo: A healthcare professional providing guidance to a new mother breastfeed her child.State and Local Government can:

  • Set statewide maternity care quality standards for hospitals to support breastfeeding.
  • Help hospitals use the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, starting with the largest hospitals in the state.

Hospitals can:

  • Partner with Baby-Friendly hospitals to learn how to improve maternity care.
  • Use CDC's Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) survey data to prioritize changes to improve maternity care practices.
  • Stop distributing formula samples and give-aways to breastfeeding mothers.

Doctors and Nurses can:

Mothers and their Families can:

  • Talk to doctors and nurses about breastfeeding plans, and ask how to get help with breastfeeding.
  • Ask about breastfeeding support when choosing a hospital.

More Information

CDC works 24/7 saving lives, protecting people from health threats, and saving money to have a more secure nation. A US federal agency, CDC helps make the healthy choice the easy choice by putting science and prevention into action. CDC works to help people live longer, healthier and more productive lives.

Source: http://www2c.cdc.gov/podcasts/download.asp?af=h&f=8380973

male health issues health advice for women health magazines for women www.womens-health.co.uk

No comments:

Post a Comment