Babies were born to be breastfed
Articles & Information
Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care in Washington
In addition to the information on this page, you can find extensive information on the "About Breastfeeding" pages.
- Maternity Care Practices Annotated Bibliography, 2008
- Breastfeeding Report Card- U.S. 2010
- Breastfeeding Report Card for 2009 (.pdf): The breastfeeding rates for 2009 represent the final 2006 birth year data
- Breastfeeding Report Card for 2008 (.pdf): The breastfeeding rates for 2008 represent the final 2005 birth year data.
- Breastfeeding Report Card - United States and Washington State, 2007 (.pdf)
- Flame Retardants - A Serious Concern for Mothers, Breastmilk, and Infants (.pdf)
US Breastfeeding Committee Publish Tool Kit and Core Competencies
The USBC recently released their Core Competencies in Breastfeeding Care and Services for All Health Professionals document to provide health professionals with a guideline and framework to integrate evidence-based breastfeeding knowledge, skills, and attitudes into their standard health care delivery practices.
In December 2010, the USBC re-released their Toolkit on Implementing the Joint Commission Perinatal Care Core Measure on Exclusive Breast Milk Feeding. Part 1 of the toolkit, Guidelines for Data Collection, was originally released in January 2010. It is designed to aid hospitals and maternity facilities in accurate collection of the data needed to comply with the new measure. The toolkit was re-released with the addition of Part 2 in December 2010. Part 2 of the toolkit, Implementing Practices That Improve Exclusive Breast Milk Feeding, focuses on improving adherence to evidence-based best practices, which is ultimately reflected in increased rates of exclusive breast milk feeding. Please submit feedback on your use of the toolkit via the brief survey.
Lactation Support is Essential
- Lactation Support is Essential; How to save your lactation program (pdf)
- International Board Certified Lactation Consultant Staffing Recommendations for the Inpatient Setting
- USLCA White Paper "Five Steps to Improving Job Security for the Hospital-Based IBCLC" by Shannon F. Clegg, RN, MBA, IBCLC, Deanne T. Francis, RN, IBCLC, Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC
- "Containing Health Care Costs Help in Plain Sight: International Board Certified Lactation Consultants Allied Health Care Providers Contribute to the Solution" by Judith Gutowski, BA, IBCLC, RLC, Marsha Walker, RN,IBCLC, RLC and Ellen Chetwynd, RN, BNS, IBCLC, RLC
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the Nation's lead Federal agency for research on health care quality, costs, outcomes, and patient safety, has released a report on breastfeeding and health outcomes.