Work/Life Trends
American Academy of Pediatrics Amends Breastfeeding Policy

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recently revised its 8-year-old policy on breastfeeding to include several new recommendations. AAP is now recommending.

Breastfeeding exclusively for approximately the first six months and support for breastfeeding for the first year and beyond, as long as mutually desired by mother and child. Mother and infant sleeping in proximity to each other to facilitate breastfeeding. Self-examining for breast lumps throughout lactation, not just after weaning. Pediatricians counseling adoptive mothers on the benefits of induced lactation through hormonal therapy or mechanical stimulation.		According to AAP, increased breastfeeding in the U.S. has the potential for decreasing annual health costs by $3.6 billion and decreasing parental employee absenteeism, the environmental burden for disposal of formula cans and bottles, and energy demands for production and transport of formula.
Evaluating a newborn breastfed infant at 3 to 5 days of age and again at 2 to 3 weeks of age to be sure the infant is feeding and growing well.

The 2005 recommendations are based on new research and further emphasize the benefits of breastfeeding for baby and mother. Benefits for baby include decreased incidence/severity of conditions such as diarrhea, ear infections and bacterial meningitis; breastfeeding also might offer protection against sudden infant death syndrome, diabetes, obesity and asthma. Benefits for mother include a reduced risk of ovarian and breast cancer and a possible decreased risk of hip fractures and osteoporosis in the postmenopausal period.

To help employers better support their breastfeeding employees, LifeCare created Mothers at Work^®, the world's premier workplace breastfeeding program. Mothers at Work offers employees 24/7 telephonic and e-mail support from certified lactation consultants; access to a proprietary breastfeeding web site and high-quality breastpumps; extensive educational materials on breastfeeding, nutrition, transitioning back to work, etc.; referrals to local resources such as errand running services and diaper deliveries; and a special kit full of helpful products and information.

If you're organization needs help in showing its support for working mothers, call LifeCare at 866-675-3751 to discuss our Mothers at Work program.