Sonya says, "If we could be providing better lactation services, beyond what
a peer counselor can provide, we would be saving millions of dollars on
formula."

 

There is abundant and mounting evidence that breastfeeding outcomes are
improved when women receive lactation support from IBCLCs in all settings
and at all points in from pregnancy through postpartum. See the USLCA
documents on our publications page :
http://www.ilca.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=4030

*         IBCLCs Make a Difference 

*         Containing Health Care Costs Help in Plain Sight

*         IBCLC Staffing Statement

 

Here are a few of the many relevant references: 

It has been acknowledged that receiving WIC services is associated with
decreased likelihood of breastfeeding at all points in time.  [
<http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/data/NIS_data/2007/socio-demographic_any.h
tm>
http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/data/NIS_data/2007/socio-demographic_any.ht
m ] and [Jae Eun Shim, Juhee Kim, and Julie B. Heiniger Breastfeeding
Duration in Relation to Child Care Arrangement and Participation in the
Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children 

J Hum Lact February 2012 28: 28-35]

 

It has been identified that  "the vast majority of first-time mothers have
early breastfeeding problems coupled with low confidence" and they do not
receive adequate assistance in the primary care setting resulting in
weaning.  [Chantry, CJ. (2011) Supporting the 75%: Overcoming Barriers After
Breastfeeding Initiation. Breastfeeding Medicine, Vol 6, Num 5, DOI:
10.1089/bfm.2011.0089, 337-339.}

 

"In individual breastfeeding counseling settings, in-person contact has been
seen and reported as more effective in increasing rates of breastfeeding
initiation, duration, and exclusivity.17 In a recent systematic review by
Chapman et al, the authors found that studies that used predominantly
telephone counseling (classified as low-intensity) were not effective in
significantly increasing breastfeeding rates.17 Also, Morrow et al in Mexico
found that mothers were more likely to exclusively breastfeed at 2 weeks and
3 months postpartum if they received frequent face-to-face home visits with
a CBBC (80% and 67%, respectively)

compared with their counterparts in a control group (24% and 12%,
respectively).21 Another study by Anderson et al in Hartford, Connecticut,
among predominantly low income inner-city Latina mothers who otherwise
rarely exclusively breastfeed, saw a significant increase in the rate of
exclusive breastfeeding by 12 weeks among those who received 3 prenatal and
9 postnatal face-to-face home visits and daily in-hospital visits after
delivery by a CBBC compared with their control counterparts.6 These findings
show the importance of face-to-face counseling in breastfeeding support to
increase rates of breastfeeding initiation, duration and exclusivity. It is,
therefore, important for CBBC programs to encourage the use of face-to-face
counseling by their counselors whether paid or volunteer, to maximize the
impact of their services to the clients they serve.[Bignell W E. E Sullivan,
A Andrianos and AK Anderson (2012) Community-Based Breastfeeding Counselors
Provision of Support Strategies and Services : Results from an
Internet-Based Survey of Community-Based Breastfeeding Counselors.  J Hum
Lact 2012 28: 62] and [Donna J. Chapman, et al J Hum Lact, August 2010; vol.
26, 3: pp. 314-326.]

 

Evidence shows that inclusion of IBCLCs in WIC programs, along with peer
counselors, showed greater improvement in breastfeeding rates. [ Yun S et
al. (2009) Evaluation of the Missouri WIC (Special Supplement Nutrition
Program for Women, Infants and Children) breast-feeding peer counseling
programme. Public Health Nutr 13, no. 2: 229-237. Available at
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online
<http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract?fromPage=online&aid=70
78124> &aid=7078124 accessed on April 24, 2012. ]

 

Breastfeeding support strategies without face-to-face interaction, with
contradictory messages and small scale interventions have been shown to have
no effect on breastfeeding. [de Oliveria MIC, Camacho LAB, Tedstone AE.
Extending breastfeeding duration through primary care: a systematic review
of pre-natal and post-natal interventions. J Hum Lact.2001;17 :326- 343]

 

 

Judith L. Gutowski, BA, IBCLC, RLC

 


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