LA County Public Health - Maternal, Child, & Adolescent Health

Babies are born to breastfed! While a mother’s milk provides the best nutrition for her baby, there are often barriers preventing a new mother from feeling ready or comfortable breastfeeding her baby. The Breastfeeding Program wants to ensure that women and families have access to breastfeeding education and support in the clinics and hospitals, at work or school, and in every community.

Goal

To increase the percentage of infants in LA County that are breastfed

Objectives

Raise awareness about the importance of breastfeeding
Partner with hospitals serving low-income communities in Los Angeles County to develop policies that support breastfeeding for new mothers and to achieve Baby-Friendly designation
Partner with community clinics to promote breastfeeding and provide breastfeeding education in both the prenatal and early postpartum periods.
Engage with employers to improve workplace support for nursing mothers
Continue to enforce the countywide lactation accommodation policy to support nursing mothers who return to work at the County

Highlights & Successes

California hospital breastfeeding data for 2011 showed a significant increase in exclusive breastfeeding from 39.3% (2010) to 46.8% (2011) for LA County!
There are currently numerous Baby Friendly hospitals in LA County and many more are beginning the process with help from DPH, BFLA, and F5LA.
On July 31, 2012, the LA Board of Supervisors passed a Motion to encourage all hospitals in LA County to achieve Baby Friendly designation and to encourage all employers to adopt workplace lactation accommodation policies. http://file.lacounty.gov/bos/supdocs/70284.pdf
Los Angeles City Hall opened its first ever official lactation room on August 15, 2012!

Resource & Links
For Parents

California Department of Public Health Breastfeeding and Healthy Living Program - Answers to common breastfeeding questions
La Leche League of Southern California - Dedicated to providing education, information, support, and encouragement to women who want to breastfeed. Monthly group meetings are held throughout Southern California and Nevada to discuss breastfeeding and related parenting topics.
International Breastfeeding Center - Helpful breastfeeding videos and articles
National Women's Health Information Center Breastfeeding Homepage - A project of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health

For Health Professionals

California Department of Health Services Breastfeeding Program - Reports and publications including hospital breastfeeding statistical tables by county
California WIC Association - Breastfeeding advocacy initiatives that increase initiation and duration of breastfeeding, particularly exclusive breastfeeding, as well as greater acceptance of breastfeeding as the accepted norm
BreastfeedLA - Dedicated to improving the health and well being of infants and families through education, outreach, and advocacy to promote and support breastfeeding
Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) - Worldwide organization of physicians dedicated to the promotion, protection and support of breastfeeding and human lactation
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Recommendations on Breastfeeding for Healthy Term Infants (PDF File)
Breastfeeding Pharmacology - Breastfeeding and medications forum, hosted by Dr. Thomas Hale, R.Ph., Ph.D., International registry for lactation research
Ad Council National Breastfeeding Awareness Campaign - Download "Baby's were born to be breastfed" Public Service Announcement video/audio clips and print ads

Upcoming Events

For a list of upcoming events please visit:
http://www.breastfeedla.org/events/list-view
http://www.californiabreastfeeding.org/conferences2.html

Contact:

Helen O’Connor
Breastfeeding Policy Analyst
213-639-6442
hoconnor@ph.lacounty.gov

MCAH Programs