Transdisciplinary breastfeeding support: Creating program and policy synergy across the reproductive continuum

This paper was presented at the symposium on Breastfeeding and Feminism: A Focus on Reproductive Health, Rights and Justice. It underscores the power and potential of synergy between and among organizations and individuals supporting breastfeeding, the mother-child dyad, and reproductive health to increase sustainable breastfeeding support. These concepts were brought together to lay the groundwork for working group discussions of synergy in program and policy actions

Exploring the impact of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative on trends in exclusive breastfeeding

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) seeks to support breastfeeding initiation in maternity services. This study uses country-level data to examine the relationship between BFHI programming and trends in exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) in 14 developing countries.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Demographic and Health Surveys and UNICEF BFHI Reports provided EBF and BFHI data. Because country programs were initiated in different years, data points were realigned to the year that the first Baby-Friendly hospital was certified in that country. Pre-and post-implementation time periods were analyzed using fixed effects models to account for grouping of data by country, and compared to assess differences in trends.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Statistically significant upward trends in EBF under two months and under six months, as assessed by whether fitted trends had slopes significantly different from 0, were observed only during the period following BFHI implementation, and not before. BFHI implementation was associated with average annual increases of 1.54 percentage points in the rate of EBF of infants under two months (p < 0.001) and 1.11-percentage points in the rate of EBF of infants under six months (p < 0.001); however, these rates were not statistically different from pre-BFHI trends.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>BFHI implementation was associated with a statistically significant annual increase in rates of EBF in the countries under study; however, small sample sizes may have contributed to the fact that results do not demonstrate a significant difference from pre-BFHI trends. Further research is needed to consider trends according to the percentages of Baby-Friendly facilities, percent of all births occurring in these facilities, and continued compliance with the program.</p

Breastfeeding in the workplace: Other employees' attitudes towards services for lactating mothers

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Workplace accommodations for breastfeeding mothers are an important step towards achieving United States Healthy People 2010 goals for continued breastfeeding. However, evidence suggests that some employers wishing to accommodate lactating mothers fear negative reactions from other workers.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This study conducted in February 2007, used descriptive statistics and linear regression to assess attitudes towards workplace breastfeeding/milk expression among employees (n = 407) of a large U.S. corporation providing a wide variety of workplace accommodations for lactating mothers.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Overall, attitudes about the impact of breastfeeding on the work environment were favorable. Previous exposure to a co-worker who breastfed or expressed milk during the work day was associated with a positive attitude towards workplace breastfeeding, even after controlling for respondents' gender, length of employment and personal breastfeeding history.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These preliminary findings suggest that lactation accommodations did not have negative repercussions for other employees, and that a corporate environment designed to enable and encourage continued breastfeeding does not endanger positive attitudes towards breastfeeding in other employees.</p

Epidemiology of basal-like breast cancer (Breast Cancer Research and Treatment DOI: 10.1007/s10549-007-9632-6)

Risk factors for the newly identified “intrinsic” breast cancer subtypes (luminal A, luminal B, basal-like and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive/estrogen receptor-negative) were determined in the Carolina Breast Cancer Study, a population-based, case–control study of African-American and white women. Immunohistochemical markers were used to subtype 1,424 cases of invasive and in situ breast cancer, and case subtypes were compared to 2,022 controls. Luminal A, the most common subtype, exhibited risk factors typically reported for breast cancer in previous studies, including inverse associations for increased parity and younger age at first full-term pregnancy. Basal-like cases exhibited several associations that were opposite to those observed for luminal A, including increased risk for parity and younger age at first term full-term pregnancy. Longer duration breastfeeding, increasing number of children breastfed, and increasing number of months breastfeeding per child were each associated with reduced risk of basal-like breast cancer, but not luminal A. Women with multiple live births who did not breastfeed and women who used medications to suppress lactation were at increased risk of basal-like, but not luminal A, breast cancer. Elevated waist-hip ratio was associated with increased risk of luminal A in postmenopausal women, and increased risk of basal-like breast cancer in pre- and postmenopausal women. The prevalence of basal-like breast cancer was highest among premenopausal African-American women, who also showed the highest prevalence of basal-like risk factors. Among younger African-American women, we estimate that up to 68% of basal-like breast cancer could be prevented by promoting breastfeeding and reducing abdominal adiposity

Selected abstracts from the Breastfeeding and Feminism International Conference 2016

Table of contents A1. Infant feeding and poverty: a public health perspective in a global context Lisa H. Amir A2. Mothers’ experiences with galactagogues for lactation: an exploratory cross sectional study Alessandra Bazzano, Shelley Thibeau, Katherine P. Theall A3. The motherhood journey and breastfeeding: from self-efficacy to resilience and social stigma Anna Blair, Karin Cadwell A4. Breastfeeding as an evolutionary adaptive behavior Emily A. Bronson A5. Conflict-of-interest in public health policy: as real as that logo on your website Elizabeth C. Brooks A6. Co-opting sisterhood and motherhood: behind the scenes of Similac’s aggressive social media campaigns Jodine Chase A7. The exclusion of women from the definition of exclusive breastfeeding Ellen Chetwynd, Rebecca Costello, Kathryn Wouk A8. Healthy maternity policies in the workplace: a state health department’s experience with the “Bring Your Infant to Work” program Lindsey Dermid-Gray A9. Implications for a paradigm shift: factors related to breastfeeding among African American women Stephanie Devane-Johnson, Cheryl Woods Giscombe, Miriam Labbok A10. Social experiences of breastfeeding: building bridges between research and policy: an ESRC-funded seminar series in the UK Sally Dowling A11. Manager’s perspectives of lactation breaks Melanie Fraser A12. The challenging second night: a dialogue from two perspectives Jane Grassley, Deborah McCarter-Spaulding, Becky Spencer A13. The role of lactation consultants in two council breastfeeding services in Melbourne, Australia – some preliminary impressions Jennifer Hocking, Pranee Liamputtong A14. Integrating social marketing and community engagement concepts in community breastfeeding programs Sheree H. Keitt, Harumi Reis-Reilly A15. What happens before and after the maternity stay? Creating a community-wide Ten Steps approach Miriam Labbok A16. #RVABREASTFEEDS: cultivating a breastfeeding-friendly community Leslie Lytle A17. Public health vs. free trade: a longitudinal analysis of a global policy to protect breastfeeding Mary Ann Merz A18. Legislative advocacy and grassroots organizing for improved breastfeeding laws in Virginia Kate Noon A19. Breastfeeding and the rights of incarcerated women Krista M Olson A20. Barriers and support for Puerto Rican breastfeeding working mothers Ana M. Parrilla-Rodríguez, José J. Gorrín-Peralta Melissa Pellicier, Zeleida M. Vázquez-Rivera A21. Pumping at work: a daily struggle for Puerto Rican breastfeeding mothers in spite of the law Melissa Pellicier A22. “I saw a wrong and I wanted to stand up for what I thought was right:” a narrative study on becoming a breastfeeding activist Jennifer L. Pemberton A23. Peer breastfeeding support: advocacy and action Catherine McEvilly Pestl A24. Good intentions: a study of breastfeeding intention and postpartum realities among first-time Central Brooklyn mothers Jennifer Pierre, Philip Noyes, Khushbu Srivastava, Sharon Marshall-Taylor A25. Women describing the infant feeding choice: the impact of the WIC breastfeeding classes on infant feeding practices in Ionia, Michigan Jennifer Proto, Sarah Hyland Laurie Brinks A26. Local and state programs and national partnership to reduce disparities through community breastfeeding support Harumi Reis-Reilly, Martelle Esposito, Megan Phillippi A27. Beyond black breastfeeding week: instagram image content analysis for #blackwomendobreastfeed/#bwdbf Cynthia L. Sears, Delores James, Cedric Harville, Kristina Carswell A28. Stakeholder views of breastfeeding education in the K-12 environment: a review of the literature Nicola Singletary, L. Suzanne Goodell, April Fogleman A29. “The Breastfeeding Transition”: a framework for explaining changes in global breastfeeding rates as related to large-scale forces shaping the status of women Paige Hall Smith A30. Breastfeeding, contraception, and ethics, oh my! Advocacy and informed decision-making in the post-partum period Alison M. Stuebe, Amy G. Bryant, Anne Drapkin Lyerly A31. A hard day’s night: juggling nighttime breastfeeding, sleep, and work Cecilia Tomori A32. Empowering change in Indian country through breastfeeding education Amanda L. Watkins, Joan E. Dodgson A33. Servants and “Little Mothers” take charge: work, class, and breastfeeding rates in the early 20th-century U.S. Jacqueline H. Wol

Epidemiology of basal-like breast cancer

Risk factors for the newly identified “intrinsic” breast cancer subtypes (luminal A, luminal B, basal-like and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive/estrogen receptor-negative) were determined in the Carolina Breast Cancer Study, a population-based, case–control study of African-American and white women. Immunohistochemical markers were used to subtype 1,424 cases of invasive and in situ breast cancer, and case subtypes were compared to 2,022 controls. Luminal A, the most common subtype, exhibited risk factors typically reported for breast cancer in previous studies, including inverse associations for increased parity and younger age at first full-term pregnancy. Basal-like cases exhibited several associations that were opposite to those observed for luminal A, including increased risk for parity and younger age at first term full-term pregnancy. Longer duration breastfeeding, increasing number of children breastfed, and increasing number of months breastfeeding per child were each associated with reduced risk of basal-like breast cancer, but not luminal A. Women with multiple live births who did not breastfeed and women who used medications to suppress lactation were at increased risk of basal-like, but not luminal A, breast cancer. Elevated waist-hip ratio was associated with increased risk of luminal A in postmenopausal women, and increased risk of basal-like breast cancer in pre- and postmenopausal women. The prevalence of basal-like breast cancer was highest among premenopausal African-American women, who also showed the highest prevalence of basal-like risk factors. Among younger African-American women, we estimate that up to 68% of basal-like breast cancer could be prevented by promoting breastfeeding and reducing abdominal adiposity