TUESDAY, Aug. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Less than 4% of U.S. hospitals offer the full range of support services that new mothers need to master breastfeeding, a new government report shows.
This is an important issue because breastfeeding protects against childhood obesity and offers other health benefits to children, according to the Vital Signs report released online Tuesday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Researchers analyzed data from CDC's national survey of Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care, and found that only 14% of hospitals have a written breastfeeding policy.
In nearly 80% of hospitals, healthy breastfeeding infants are given formula when it is not medically necessary. This practice makes it much more difficult for new mothers and infants to learn how to breastfeed and to continue breastfeeding at home.
Among the other findings:
- Only one-third of hospitals practice "rooming in," in which mothers stay with their newborns 24 hours a day. This helps mothers and newborns learn to breastfeed by giving them frequent opportunities to breastfeed.
- Nearly 75% of hospitals do not provide necessary breastfeeding support to mothers and babies when they leave the hospital. Required support includes a follow-up visit, a phone call from hospital staff and referrals to lactation consultants and breastfeeding support systems in the community.
The report's release coincides with World Breastfeeding Week.
"Hospitals play a vital role in supporting a mother to be able to breastfeed," CDC director Dr. Thomas R. Frieden said in a CDC news release. "Those first few hours and days that a mom and her baby spend learning to breastfeed are critical. Hospitals need to better support breastfeeding, as this is one of the most important things a mother can do for her newborn. Breastfeeding helps babies grow up healthy and reduces health-care costs."
Low rates of breastfeeding in the United States result in $2.2 billion in additional medical costs per year. Babies who are fed formula and stop breastfeeding early have higher rates of obesity, diabetes, respiratory and ear infections. They also require more doctor visits, hospitalizations and prescriptions, according to the CDC.
-- Robert Preidt
SOURCE: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, news release, Aug. 2, 2011
Source: http://www.medicinenet.com/guide.asp?s=rss&a=147699&k=Womens_Health_General
health supplements for women health and fitness women health clubs for women pregnancy health issues
No comments:
Post a Comment