Posted: 8/19/2019
World Health Organization and UNICEF sponsors of global program
Baby-Friendly USA has announced that Parkland Memorial Hospital has been named a Designated Baby-Friendly birth facility.
Baby-Friendly USA, Inc. is the U.S. authority for the implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (“BFHI”), a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The initiative encourages and recognizes hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies. Based on the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, this international award recognizes birth facilities that offer breastfeeding mothers the information, confidence and skills needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies.
There are more than 20,000 designated Baby-Friendly hospitals and birth centers worldwide. Currently there are 581 active Baby-Friendly hospitals and birth centers in the United States.
“We chose to pursue Baby Friendly designation to demonstrate the commitment of Parkland’s physicians, nurses and administrators to providing mothers and families the information, support, and confidence they need to successfully breastfeed,” said Marjorie Quint-Bouzid, MPA, RN, NEA- BC, Senior Vice President of Nursing for Women and Infants Specialty Health at Parkland.
Parkland Memorial Hospital staff includes 24 International Board Certified Lactation Consultants available 24/7 for mothers of newborns to support new moms through education, assistance and encouragement to reach their breastfeeding goals. Parkland also operates an outpatient Newborn Follow-Up and Lactation Clinic for immediate care of weight loss, jaundice and breastfeeding issues. Staffed by pediatric and family nurse practitioners and lactation consultants, the specialty clinic provides care to approximately 200 babies per month. In addition, Parkland partners with the City of Dallas WIC Lactation Care Center, supporting breastfeeding patients upon discharge home from the hospital.
“Choosing to breastfeed requires commitment and lots of practice,” said Valencia Moore, RN, IBCLC, Lactation Consultant Supervisor at Parkland. “We want our families to know that breastfeeding provides health benefits not only for baby, but for moms as well. Most importantly, breastfeeding reduces maternal and child mortality.”
More than seven years ago, Parkland began a multidisciplinary approach to implement the necessary processes to become a Baby-Friendly Hospital. “We are proud of our staff’s dedication and perseverance in implementing the practices to support, promote and protect breastfeeding that merit this recognition,” Moore said.
Last year on average, 34 babies were born every 24 hours at Parkland – one out of every 250 babies born in the U.S. During fiscal year 2018, Parkland tallied a total of 12,583 deliveries and 240,481 women’s clinic visits. Breastfeeding education is provided expectant mothers during their prenatal visits at Parkland’s women health centers.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states that human milk provides virtually all the protein, sugar and fat babies need to be healthy and provides substances that protect them against a wide variety of diseases and infections. The benefits can be seen not only while breastfeeding, but in some cases, long after being weaned. Formula cannot offer this protection.
Research by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) shows that mothers who breastfeed recover from childbirth more quickly and easily, experience reduced rates of breast and ovarian cancer later in life and have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Another added benefit for breastfeeding mothers is weight loss.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality (NICHQ) also promote breastfeeding as one of the most effective preventive measures a mother can take to protect the health of her infant.
Further information about the U.S. Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative may be obtained by visiting www.babyfriendlyusa.org. For more information about Parkland services, visit www.parklandhospital.com