In the spirit of this year’s World Cup, World Breastfeeding Week (WBW, August 1– 7) embraces a soccer theme, with a focus on breastfeeding as a winning goal.

The word “goal” also refers to the 8 global Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) developed by the United Nations in 1990. These goals strive for comprehensive health improvements throughout the world. Goal 4 (reduce child mortality) and Goal 5 (improve maternal health) are most influenced by breastfeeding. It is clear that breastfeeding plays an essential role in the MDGs as a nutritional tool to improve child weight status by preventing both over- and under-nutrition as well as to reduce childhood disease.

The MDGs are intended to be achieved by 2015. As the countdown towards this milestone approaches, we can acknowledge the progress made thus far but must continue to advance. The World Alliance of Breastfeeding Action (WABA) describes 2014’s goal as follows:

“This year's WBW theme responds to the latest countdown by asserting the importance of increasing and sustaining the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding in the post 2015 agenda, and engaging as many groups, and people of various ages as possible.”

Breastfeeding promotion and support are essential components of Massachusetts WIC. WIC programs across Massachusetts will embrace the theme in 2014 by celebrating with parties, health fairs, and other events. Contact your local WIC program to see what events are planned to celebrate this August!

World Breastfeeding Week 2014:

“A Winning Goal” and WIC Agrees

Breastfeeding Focus

Summer 2014

“Breastfeeding is an amazingly

complex and incredibly

adaptive system…The evidence

suggests that the debate over

the relative value of

breastfeeding compared with

artificial means of feeding is

over, as the data are

unequivocal in favor of

breastfeeding. The challenge

must now be to establish

appropriate systems and

resources to support women

and families who are interested

in breastfeeding.”

Dr. David Meyers, Agency for

Healthcare Research & Quality

Inside this issue:

World Breastfeeding

Week 2014

1

Massachusetts

Breastfeeding Highlights

2

CDC Breastfeeding

Report Card

2

News and Research 3

WIC. We Know

Breastfeeding.

4

Breastfeeding Resources 4

Brought to you by the Massachusetts WIC Nutrition Program

.

Page 2 Breastfeeding Focus

Massachusetts Breastfeeding Highlights 2014

Massachusetts now has six Baby-Friendly Hospitals

Congratulations to Good Samaritan Hospital in Brockton and Fairview Hospital in Great Barrington who joined Boston Medical Center, Cambridge Birth Center, Tobey Hospital and Melrose Wakefield Hospital in achieving the Baby-Friendly Hospital Designation.

18 Massachusetts Hospitals on the 4-D pathway to Baby-Friendly

According to Baby-Friendly USA, there are currently 18 additional hospitals on the pathway to Baby-Friendly. In 2014, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, in collaboration with Northeastern University, provided technical assistance to 11 of these hospitals. When the 18 hospitals achieve Baby-Friendly status, half of Massachusetts hospitals will be Baby-Friendly!

FREE CME online breastfeeding tutorial now available

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health is excited to announce part 2 of the CME online tutorial for clinicians. “Expanding Clinician’s Roles in Breastfeeding Support: Focus on Maternal & Infant Care Prenatally and During the Hospital Stay” can be accessed via http://www.northeastern.edu/breastfeedingcme/ . This new version complements the first edition and together will provide the 3 CMEs required of physicians for Step 2 of the Baby- Friendly Hospital Certification process. Thank you to Northeastern University, Hallmark Health and others in the Commonwealth who contributed greatly to this module!

Collaboration with Massachusetts WIC facilitates steps 3 & 10 on the pathway

In the past year, Massachusetts WIC offered breastfeeding support services to nearly 40,000 prenatal and breastfeeding women. WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselors made more than 151,000 contacts with women via text messaging, phone calls, individual meetings and group

education and support. Local WIC programs have increased their involvement with birthing facilities in their communities. This work parallels steps 3 & 10 of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative.

“Breastfeeding is

the most precious

gift a mother can

give her infant.

When there is

infection or

illness, it may be a

life-saving gift.

When there is

poverty, it may be

‘The only gift.’”

- Dr. Ruth A.

Lawrence,

Professor of

Pediatrics and

Obstetrics and

Gynecology at the

University of

Rochester School

of Medicine

2014 CDC Report Card The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its 2014 Breastfeeding Report Card on August 1. Massachusetts continues to perform above the national averages for breastfeeding initiation and duration at 6 months. However, it appears that there needs to be a stronger focus on breastfeeding exclusivity in Massachusetts and throughout the country. For a full report log onto http://cdc.gov/breastfeeding/data/reportcard.htm.

Region Ever

Breastfed

Breastfeeding

at 6 months

Breastfeeding

at 12 months

Exclusive

breastfeeding

at 3 months

Exclusive breast-

feeding at 6

months

U.S. National 79.2% 49.4% 26.7% 40.7% 18.8%

Massachusetts 81.4% 53.7% 24.9% 36.8% 17.5%

Healthy People 2020 Target

81.9% 60.6% 34.1% 46.2% 25.5%

Breastfeeding Combined with Solid Foods Associated with Fewer Allergies

In this British study, the diets of 41 children with food allergy onset before age 2 were

compared to the diets of 82 children without food allergies. Results showed that children

with allergies experienced earlier introductions to solid food, plus no overlap between breast milk and

cow’s milk. The researchers consider the mechanism to be that breastmilk in conjunction with solid

foods has a protective immunity

Grimshaw et al. Introduction of Complementary Foods and the Relationship to Food Allergy. Pediatrics, 2013; 132 (6): e1529.

News and Research

WIC Participation Boosts Breastfeeding

This study compared breastfeeding initiation and duration between women who joined WIC prenatally

and postpartum (n = 122,506). Results showed that the longer a woman was exposed to WIC, the more

likely she was to both initiate and continue breastfeeding.

Metallinos-Katsaras et al. Maternal WIC Participation Improves Breastfeeding Rates: A Statewide Analysis of WIC

Participants. Matern Child Health J. 2014 Apr 29, 2014. [Epub ahead of print]

Page 3

Community Doulas Increase Breastfeeding Among Young Mothers

University of Chicago found that doulas increased breastfeeding initiation and duration amongst young,

low-income African American mothers (n = 248). The control group received normal prenatal care while

the experimental group had weekly doula visits before and three months after birth.

Edwards et al. Breastfeeding and Complementary Food: Randomized Trial of Community Doula Home Visiting.

Pediatrics, 2013; 132 (Supplement): S160.

Gestational Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes, and Breastfeeding

A meta-analysis of both observational and prospective studies found that women with gestational diabetes

(GDM) are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes if they breastfeed. GDM breastfeeders showed

improvements in glucose and lipid metabolism compared to GDM non-breastfeeders.

Much et al. Beneficial effects of breastfeeding in women with gestational diabetes mellitus. Mol Metab. Jun 2014; 3(3):

284–292.

Breastfeeding Duration Linked to Inflammation in Adulthood

This cohort study (n = 6951) linked breastfeeding duration in infancy with C-reactive protein levels (CRP) in

early adulthood. Longer breastfeeding was a predictor of lower adulthood CRP concentrations.

McDade et al. Long-term effects of birth weight and breastfeeding duration on inflammation in early adulthood. Proc R

Soc B, 2014; 281: 20133116.

Refer your patients to WIC for

breastfeeding education & support!

FREE breastfeeding support services at

WIC include:

Individualized breastfeeding education, assessment and

counseling by trained staff

“Mother to Mother” Breastfeeding Peer Counselors

CLCs and IBCLCs available at most WIC programs

Assistance in planning to return to work/school

Assistance in accessing breast pumps

Culturally and linguistically appropriate educational

materials

Support programs and classes available at many

programs

Contact the Massachusetts WIC Program at 1-800-WIC-1007 or visit www.mass.gov/wic for more

information.

Massachusetts WIC Nutrition Program

www.mass.gov/wic

Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition

www.massbreastfeeding.org

Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine

www.bfmed.org

International Lactation Consultant Association

www.ilca.org

AAP Breastfeeding Resource Guide for Health Professionals

http://www2.aap.org/breastfeeding/healthProfessionaIsResourceGuide.html

Baby-Friendly USA

www.babyfriendlyusa.org

Massachusetts Department of Public Health

www.masss.gov/dph/breastfeeding

Helpful Links to Breastfeeding Resources

WE KNOW BREASTFEEDING

Breastfeeding in the Bay State

Monday, September 29, 2014

8:00 am-5:30 pm

Massachusetts Medical Society

Waltham, Massachusetts

Jointly sponsored by the Massachusetts

Breastfeeding Coalition, the University

of Massachusetts School of Medicine

Department of Continuing Education,

and the Massachusetts section of the

American Congress of Obstetricians and

Gynecologists.

For more information, visit

http://massbreastfeeding.org/conference

FREE CMEs for Clinicians!

Check out the updated online breastfeeding tutorials

for clinicians. These modules provide 3 FREE CMEs as

well continuing education credits for RNs

http://www.northeastern.edu/breastfeedingcme