Loving Support Builds Breastfeeding-Friendly Communities
Submission Date: December 2010
State/Territory Submitted on the Behalf of: Montana
States/Territories Involved: Montana
Domain Addressed:Epidemiology and Surveillance, Environmental Approaches
Public Health Issue:- Longer breastfeeding duration makes it less likely a child will be overweight or develop diabetes.
- Many women in Montana initiate breastfeeding but only about half of them continue to breastfeed for at least six months.
- Recommended strategies for increasing initiation and duration of breastfeeding include implementing “baby-friendly” maternity practices, education, support for breastfeeding in the workplace, and peer and professional support for breastfeeding.
- The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services Nutrition and Physical Activity Program and its partners such as the Montana Dietetic Association were trained on evidence- based interventions to create breastfeeding-friendly communities by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Nutrition and Physical Activity program funder.
- The state and its partners developed the first Montana Breastfeeding Coalition which is implementing policy and environmental changes statewide to promote breastfeeding.
- Activities include publication of a document supporting breastfeeding as a cost-effective health practice, influencing policies on breastfeeding in the workplace, implementation of a survey on existing hospital practices related to breastfeeding, support for expanding the WIC breastfeeding peer counseling program, training health professionals, establishing communication mechanisms, implementing a media campaign, and promotion of a breastfeeding hotline.
- Hospital surveys revealed that most facilities were interested in initiating tracking breastfeeding duration.
- Coalition partners advocated for successful passage of Montana Senate Bill 89 requiring break time and privacy to support breastfeeding mothers in public employee workplaces. Web-based materials were developed to help employers comply with the law.
- For the first time, breastfeeding advocates across the state are working together to support and promote breastfeeding for all Montana mothers and infants, a key obesity-prevention strategy.
- Based on a need identified by hospital surveys, the Nutrition and Physical Activity Program is developing a breastfeeding data collection system for maternity facilities that will be applied statewide after a pilot in two sites.
- Criteria are developed and available for worksites to use in identifying themselves as
- Breastfeeding Friendly, including policies, privacy issues, and education of employees.
Social Determinants of Health, Other
State Contact Information:
MT
Lynn Hellenga
Montana State University
406-994-5710
lhellenga@montana.edu