Thursday, 23 Oct 2014, Tricia Shamblin wrote:

Heather writes:  "A colleague has sent this:  http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/pdf/2014breastfeedingreportcard.pdf

How robust is the collection of the data?  I ask, because the exclusive breastfeeding figures seem very high indeed."

 

[Tricia now]:  "I'm wondering this too. It seems high for my area. 38% exclusively breastfeeding at 6 months? Maybe, but I'm not seeing it. However, it could just be that other areas in my state are higher and maybe it's accurate.  They get most of the data from the immunization and birth records. Also, some comes from the WIC program, I believe. That's a program to give food and formula to low income mothers of small children.

I'm worried about the accuracy also, because recently the WIC program changed their food packages and now gives a lot more food to the breastfeeding women who are not receiving formula through the program (which is a good idea). However, I've heard that some women are beginning to figure out that this food package is worth more than the formula package. So they are stating that they are exclusively breastfeeding, taking the food and then using their food stamps to buy formula. This is going to skew the data collection. I hope that isn't what's happening and these numbers are real. We are working hard to increase them!" ~~ Tricia Shamblin, RN, IBCLC; Waukegan, Illinois

 

Tricia - I worked in the WIC program for a few years and think it is very hard to make changes in the system.  There is no way to know for sure if a woman who claims she is breastfeeding (BF) truly is BF.  She certainly can't be asked to BF in the WIC office to prove that she is.  It has to be on the honor system.  However, could the WIC program change so that food stamps could not be used to purchase Artificial Baby Milk (ABM) but the women would receive either the exclusive BF package OR separate (from the food stamps) coupons to purchase ABM?  That may be much harder to accomplish than to say.  Keep up the good work!

Warmest regards,

Lee Galasso, MS, LLLL, IBCLC, RLC

Lactation Specialist, Lactation Center of Westchester/Putnam; Westchester County in NYS, USA

“Children Are Born with the Need to Breastfeed”

***********************

Formula feeding is the longest-lasting uncontrolled experiment in the history of medicine.
~~ Frank Oski, MD; Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University, 1985-1996

 

 


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