The Value of Human Milk

Issue 04.12
•
Spring 2 0 1 2
messenger
News for Professionals
The Value of Human Milk
Medela Introduces Award Winning
Calma® in the United States
> A Message from the President
> Introducing Calma
> Stem Cells Found in Breastmilk
> 7th International Breastfeeding & Lactation
Symposium
> Lactation Innovation Series in the US
> Innovating Practice Series
> N
ot Alone in the NICU-Persistent Mom
Achieves Breastfeeding Success in
Intensive Care
> WIC Works Partners in Promoting
Breastfeeding
> Donor Milk-Documentary Film
Promotes the Value of Human Milk
Product News
BabyWeigh™ II Scale
Waterless Milk Warmer™
What’s New?
Medela.com
Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative
Congratulations Alameda County Medical Center
A Message from the President
Supporting You in Emphasizing the
Value of Human Milk
Breastfeeding is one of the most important nutritional goals a
mother can set for her baby. The value of human milk has been
confirmed time and time again, demonstrating medicinal-like
qualities for baby. Dramatic health benefits have been proven to
pass from mother to child through breastmilk; from antibodies
that protect an infant at birth to exclusive nutrients in mother’s
milk that have been shown to prevent a number of childhood
diseases.
At Medela, we play a unique role in supporting you, by providing
products and services to encourage better-quality infant nutrition
and enable ever-improving rates of breastfeeding initiation and
duration. We offer comprehensive solutions for healthy babies as
well as for special needs babies.
Our commitment, however, goes beyond delivering the latest in breastpumping and breastfeeding
products. Medela is committed to supporting, promoting and providing the latest evidence-based
research and products on human lactation and breastfeeding support. We strive to support the longterm success of breastfeeding moms through our partnerships with professionals and customers that
support a mom’s breastfeeding journey.
I hope you enjoy this edition of the Messenger. We have articles on how a persistent breastfeeding
mom turned challenge into success in the NICU; our researched-based feeding solution, Calma®;
the latest in education offerings from researchers around the world; as well as product updates and
announcements.
Thank you, again, for your support of breastfeeding moms and babies.
Be well,
Carolin Archibald
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Medela Introduces Award Winning Calma®
in the United States
Innovative research-based breastmilk feeding solution supports
mothers committed to breastfeeding
“
Calma is the latest advancement
in breastfeeding science that is the
result of many years of research
and development with leading
lactation consultants.
”
For more
information on Calma
Click here
Carolin Archibald, President of Medela
Medela is proud to announce the U.S. launch
of Calma, a product designed exclusively for
breastfed babies to support mothers in their
breastfeeding journey. Calma is a research-based
nipple used with a BPA-free breastmilk bottle
designed to help babies to maintain their natural
feeding behavior and transition from bottle back to
breast with ease — a revolution for breastfeeding
mothers.
“Medela is always working to find new solutions
for moms and babies by investing in researchbased breastfeeding innovations,” said Carolin
Archibald, president of Medela. “Calma is the latest
advancement in breastfeeding science that is the
result of many years of research and development
with leading lactation consultants.”
qClick below to view the Calma videoq
Calma is the first breastmilk feeding solution based
on new breastfeeding science of milk removal
from the breast. Research published in the journal,
Early Human Development, by world-renowned
scientists and lactation researchers from the
University of Western Australia, demonstrated
that babies create a vacuum when extracting
milk from the breast, which is a method different
than the wave-like movement that was previously
understood.
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Calma®
Calma was developed through the work of lead
researcher Dr. Donna Geddes, assistant professor,
School of Biomedical, Biomolecular and Chemical
Sciences at the University of Western Australia, with
Medela’s support. With Calma, breastmilk flows
when babies create a vacuum so they can feed,
pause and breathe — which mimics their feeding
behavior at the breast. As a result, Calma’s unique
vacuum technology allows mothers to provide
pumped breastmilk to their babies, and easily
transition babies back to feeding at the breast.
The vacuum technology in the Calma nipple is
vastly different from a conventional bottle nipple,
which may disrupt normal feeding behavior and
contribute to a difficult transition from bottle to
breast. Milk flows freely from a standard bottle
nipple even if the baby is not actively sucking
— a feature unlike that of the breast. Calma’s
technology allows babies to continue their natural
feeding behavior as if they were at the breast,
making it easier for babies to transition back to
breastfeeding.
especially during transitions such as returning to
work,” said Archibald. “Calma was developed to
enable mothers to succeed during these transitions,
prolong breastfeeding duration, and provide the
health benefits of their own breastmilk to their
babies.”
Calma is a part of Medela’s complete breastfeeding
support system of pump, store and feed products.
Calma’s one size/shape nipple is used for all stages
of breastmilk feeding and also helps to reduce
gassiness. Breastfeeding should be well established
before introducing Calma.
“
These new research findings led Medela
to incorporate unique features into a teat
so that infants use vacuum and tongue
action similar to breastfeeding to remove
the expressed milk from a bottle.
”
“Our research on how babies breastfeed showed
that tongue movement is different than previously
described and that vacuum is important for milk
removal,” said Dr. Geddes. “These new research
findings led Medela to incorporate unique features
into a teat so that infants use vacuum and tongue
action similar to breastfeeding to remove the
expressed milk from a bottle.”
Calma has been available in Europe and Canada
since 2010. Calma recently won the prestigious
Innovation Award in the category of World of
Baby Care at Kind + Jugend, the world’s leading
international nursery fair.
“For more than 50 years, Medela has recognized
that breastmilk is the best nutrition for babies. It
helps improve the health of both mom and baby.
Breast is always best, yet we’ve heard from many
moms who struggle to continue breastfeeding,
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Valuable Stem Cells Found in Breastmilk –
Theory Becomes Reality
In 2007, scientists from
UWA theorized that stem
cells could be harvested
from breastmilk. Today,
UWA Ph.D. candidate
Foteini Hassitou has
demonstrated that obtaining
stem cells from breastmilk
is more than a theory – it’s
a potentially game-changing
reality. This finding not only
UWA PhD Candidate
has implications for the
Foteini Hassitou
growth and development
of breastfed babies, but could also be the answer to
ethically and easily obtaining stem cells in a non-invasive
manner.
The Group has been working on the subject of stem
cells for over five years.
“It is great to see the biology of breastmilk stem cells
unfold and to be able to demonstrate new findings
that take our knowledge a step further. Through the
financial support of Medela it has been possible for
me to conduct this research, which shows for yet
another reason why breastmilk is so much more than
nutrition for the baby,“ said Hassiotou. “In addition, it is
becoming clear that breastmilk can serve as an ethical,
non-invasive and plentiful source for human stem cells—
but a lot of questions still remain unanswered, especially
about the function of these cells in the breastfed baby. I
feel proud to be part of this exciting journey of discovery,
and I plan to continue this research at The University of
Western Australia.”
Following Hassiotou‘s recent win of the 2011
AusBiotech-GSK Student Excellence Award for her
research into breastmilk stem cells (Oct.17, 2011),
Medela is proud to announce Hassiotou’s first
presentation of her findings of stem cells in breastmilk
in 2012. She will share her findings during Medela’s 7th
International Breastfeeding and Lactation Symposium to
be held in Vienna, Austria from April 20-21, 2012.
This discovery by Hassiotou, who is part of the Human
Lactation Research Group under the direction of
Professor Peter Hartmann at the University of Western
Australia, may well be the answer to ethically and easily
obtaining stem cells in a non-invasive manner. The value
in harvesting stem cells from breastmilk lies in their
incredible potential to develop into many different cell
types in the body during early life and growth. They have
the ability to act as a type of “internal repair system”.
With both types of stem cells (embryonic and adult),
however, well-documented hurdles exist both from an
ethical as well as from a practical harvesting perspective.
Medela has been working with the Hartmann Human
Lactation Research Group since the mid-1990s
resulting in numerous scientific breakthroughs including
overturning a 160-year old anatomical model of the
lactating human breast, and a unique insight into the
sucking, swallowing and breathing mechanism that
babies must master to feed properly.
Through her research, Hassitou has proven that stem cells from
breastmilk can be directed to become other body cell types, including
bone, fat, liver and brain cells.
“We are proud that Medela can support scientists in
their work to uncover the power and promise of human
milk,“ said Renate Schreiber, CEO of Medela. “The
existence of stem cells in human milk is very exciting
and we are curious to better understand the contribution
that these cells can make to the health of the baby.”
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Medela Plans 7th International Breastfeeding
& Lactation Symposium
Medela’s 7th
International
Breastfeeding and
Lactation Symposium
will be held in Vienna,
Austria from April
20-21, 2012 and will
focus on the value of
human milk in neonatal
intensive care units
(NICUs), the unique
components of human milk, as well as latest
recommendations for research-based practice.
University of Western Australia Ph.D. candidate
Foteini Hassiotou will be joined by several
international experts who will share their latest
findings on a number of related topics including
the presence of oligosaccharides in human
milk, the value of donor milk in the NICU, and
medication in mother’s milk.
This annual event is attended by pediatricians,
neonatologists, midwives and lactation
consultants, all of whom have a special interest
in learning more about breastmilk composition.
Hassiotou and colleagues working under the
guidance of Professor Peter Hartmann, who
directs the Human Lactation Research Group at
the University of Western Australia, will also be
coming to the US in April to present their latest
research in a course called Lactation Innovation.
(See Below) They will be presenting at two
locations: St. David’s Hospital in Austin, Texas
on April 26; and at John Muir Medical Center in
Walnut Creek, California on April 27.
For more information on the symposium, please visit
www.medela.com. Presentations and post-conference
coverage will also be available after the event.
Lactation Innovation in the US
The latest research from renowned international experts
Presented by: P
eter Hartmann PhD, Ben Hartmann PhD, Jacqueline Kent PhD and
Foteini Hassiotou PhD.
Date: April 26, 2012
Time: 8:15 AM - 4:15 PM
Location: St. David’s Hospital
1060 East 30th Street
Austin, TX 78705
Contact Info: T
ony Torr
(800) 435-8316 x5540
[email protected]
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Date: April 27, 2012
Time: 8:15 AM - 4:15 PM
Location: John Muir Medical Center
Walnut Creek Ball Auditorium
1601 Ygnacio Valley Road
Walnut Creek, CA 94598
Contact Info: S
am Bohman
(650) 793-9368
[email protected]
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Medela Education Programs
Medela is committed to supporting, promoting
and providing the latest evidence-based
research on human lactation through
comprehensive education courses. We offer
different ways for you to meet your education
goals. Our live and online education programs
feature the world’s foremost experts and
our own team of educators. Check out the
Medela website professionals page for more
information for online courses.
Breastfeeding & Evidence Based Practice
Bringing Your Knowledge to the Bedside
RSVP:
www.MedelaEducation.com
Credits:
6.5 RN Contact Hours
Click on the word live (second paragraph)
6.5 Dietitian CPE
Click April 27, 2012 date
Click on Add to Cart & Register
This course raises the consciousness of clinicians caring for
breastfeeding families about the unique benefits of human
milk. The benefits human milk provides to mothers, infants
and society are discussed. A history of the commercialization
of breastmilk substitutes in the United States is presented
along with identifying barriers to breastfeeding. The
ethical responsibility of health care providers to promote
breastfeeding is also presented.
Contact Info: K
elly Murray
(847) 975-9548
[email protected]
Date: May 14, 2012
Time: 8:30 AM - 2:45 PM
Location: Elmhurst Memorial Healthcare
Oak Room – East Entrance, Lower Level
155 E. Brush Hill Rd.
Elmhurst, IL 60126
Presented by: Diana Chisholm Estep RN, BSN, IBCLC
RSVP:
Credits:
Presented by: Jean Rhodes CNM, PhD, IBCLC
•
•
•
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Improving NICU Outcomes with Human Milk
Evidence for Improving Practice
www.MedelaEducation.com
Symphony® Preemie+™ Select Education Package
Date: April 27, 2012
Time: 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Location: Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Prentice Women’s Hospital
250 E. Superior
Conference Room L South
Chicago, IL 60611
Improving NICU Outcomes with Human Milk
.0 Dietician CPE
4
4.0 Nursing Contact Hours
0.4 ACNM CEUs
• Click on the word live (second paragraph)
• Click May 14, 2012 date
• Click on Add to Cart & Register
This half day program is comprised of three talks detailing the scientific evidence for the use of human milk for
vulnerable infants and mechanisms to ensure its delivery:
Evidence for the Use of Human Milk in the NICU, Protecting
Milk Volume in the Breast Pump Dependent Mother of the
NICU Infant, and Incorporating Lactation Technology Into
Complicated Case Scenarios.
Contact Info: R
ebecca Cazzato
(331) 221-0574
[email protected]
Recent Course Attendees Said:
-A
bsolutely incredible! I have never been to such an
informative conference. Thank you.
-A
fter 18 years of practice I don’t often hear new
information at breastfeeding seminars. This time I
learned so much more! Thank you!
-W
onderful! I have a list of changes and work to be
done at my hospital!
Click here
For a complete list of Medela
Education courses
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Innovating Practice Series: The Value of
Human Milk
Innovating Practice, our series geared toward our accounts and professional
audiences shares the latest research to improve your practice and impact the
outcomes of your patients. Each installation in the series focuses on a specific
clinical practice theme, featuring articles related to the topic.
The most recent title in the series, “The Value of Human Milk” is now available.
The essay, “The Value of Human Milk” explores 3 research studies related to the
use of human milk in the neonatal intensive care of preterm infants. The first article
for review is a study of the effects of human milk on immature gut permeability.
Commentary following a summary of the article focuses on factors in human milk
that facilitate maturation of the gastrointestinal system. The second article investigates the role of human
milk in reducing the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and death. In the subsequent commentary, we
will examine the anti-inflammatory and immunomodulary aspects of human milk in relation not just to NEC
but also to other diseases common in preterm infants. The third article compares the incidence of NEC in
preterm infants receiving a human milk-based human milk fortifier to those receiving a standard bovinebased human milk fortifier. Commentary relates study outcomes to the physiology of NEC and the effects
of a non species-specific diet.
The first installation, issued early in 2011, is “Collection and Storage of Human Milk.” The second title,
released in the first quarter of 2012, is “Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Transmission and Breastmilk.” The next
articles in the series will be released next quarter and communicated to you via the Messenger.
New Documentary Film
Promotes the Value of Human
Milk and Its Life Saving Benefits
for NICU Babies
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Not Alone In The NICU
Persistent Mom Achieves Breastfeeding Success in Intensive Care
Supporting Your Efforts
in the NICU
Medela understands the importance of
human milk in the NICU. We know that
the content of human milk can substantially
improve outcomes for critically compromised
and premature infants. We are committed to
you and the work you do each day because
we share the same goals – improving
outcomes and improving the overall health of
your patients.
When infants are born under duress, moms,
family and health professionals can be
focused on the critical situation at hand-the
baby’s health. The medicinal-like qualities of
breastmilk play an equally important role in
getting NICU infants on the path to stability,
health and wellness. Read one mother’s story
about the premature birth of her son, Walker,
and her belief in the value of human milk.
Today’s moms are doing their homework when
it comes to their health and the health of their
families. Expectant moms are making plans for
their hospital or home delivery and developing
goals for breastfeeding; they are learning as much
as they can in preparation for their new baby to
arrive. But unless identified as high-risk, most
expectant mothers don’t prepare for the NICU and
are unfamiliar with feeding protocols, especially
if their intentions are to exclusively breastfeed.
That was exactly the case for Brittany Jacoby of
Chicago, who gave birth to her son Walker at 34
weeks. A tiny 3 pounds, 10 ounces, Walker was
whisked off to the NICU shortly after birth.
“I remember thinking,
what happens now? How
do I feed him? All I saw
was purple, he seemed
to be purple because all
I saw was his umbilical
cord wrapped around
his tiny neck,” Brittany
recalls. “I was so worried.
They put him on my chest
for a few seconds and then
took him to the NICU.”
The Jacoby family shortly after
Walker’s birth.
Unprepared for NICU Experience
Brittany was admittedly unprepared for an
experience in the NICU. Her pregnancy was not
high risk. But at 34 weeks as she was getting
ready for her baby shower, her water broke. Her
family happened to be there and looking back,
Brittany is especially grateful that her sister, who
works in healthcare, was by her side.
Feeling apprehensive and scared, Brittany was
admitted and remained in the hospital for 24 hours
before Walker was born. During that time, she was
visited by staff who spoke to her about the NICU.
This was her formal introduction to the place that
Walker would call home for the first weeks of his
life.
“I knew the situation wasn’t ideal and I was hoping
there wouldn’t be any big issues,” she recalls. But
she realized the severity of the situation and all
of the complications that could potentially arise
due to Walker’s premature birth; from needing a
respirator to being very susceptible to infection.
“
I was so worried. They put him on
my chest for a few seconds and
then took him to the NICU.
”
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NICU
Most importantly, Brittany planned to breastfeed Walker, but at no time after giving birth was she
approached about breastfeeding. It was Brittany’s sister who had to go outside of the hospital to
borrow a special Symphony® Preemie+™ breastpump and had Brittany pumping immediately after her
delivery. Brittany remembers giving her first container of colostrum to a nurse and asking that it be fed
to Walker. At 7 hours post-partum, she was visited by a family friend and lactation consultant who gave
some additional advice on getting her supply established. “The staff in the NICU is wonderful,” Brittany
says, “and they took great care and consideration for the health of my baby, but I wanted to breastfeed
and that did not seem to be their priority.” Regretfully, a few of Walker’s feedings were supplemented
with formula, but ultimately, the NICU staff worked within Brittany’s requests to exclusively feed
breastmilk to her son.
Determined to be Successful
Brittany continued to pump during her separation
from Walker. At birth, the umbilical cord was
wrapped six times around his neck, causing him
to be in distress. In the NICU though, he was
“leading the pack” and doing extremely well,
with no other complications. His lungs were well
developed; he didn’t need to be on a respirator.
“He was strong enough to latch on successfully,
but had a feeding tube in the NICU,” Brittany
says. “After the first 36 hours, I had a HUGE
supply [of milk], but I never knew how much he
was getting. I remember hearing other moms
talking about not having enough supply and one
mom shared that no one ever talked to her about
pumping at all. It’s amazing because it’s so wellknown how good breastmilk is for baby! I am
convinced Walker’s successful weight gain and
growth while in the NICU was due to breastmilk.
But it also scares me that if I didn’t have an
advocate, I bet I wouldn’t have been able to
breastfeed at all.”
At the time, Brittany’s concern was to get Walker
out of the NICU. “He had to be able to eat by
mouth for 24 hours before he could leave the
NICU. And they left it to me to decide how to
feed Walker, bottle or breast, so I bottle fed him
the breastmilk. I wanted to get him out of there
and bring him home.”
Tips for Moms
in the NICU
The NICU is a stressful place for both babies and
their parents. Here are some feeding tips you can
provide to mothers with babies in the NICU.
• Relax: Spending time in the NICU can be stressful. Establishing a relaxing ritual will train your milk to
“let down” when it is time to pump.
•Start pumping early: As soon as you are able to pump, do it. Using a hospital grade breastpump that
works best for you will make the process easier.
•
“Empty” your breasts: The hindmilk, or the last drops of milk when you empty your breast, are filled with fat calories important to your premature baby. To ensure you get every last drop, pump for a couple minutes after your milk flow stops, or comes out in slow drips.
•
Be persistent: There will be ups and downs in your milk flow—but don’t give up. To increase your milk flow, try getting more rest, pumping more frequently and drinking more water.
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NICU
Walker is now 4½ months old and weighs nearly 11 pounds. He is still
breastfeeding well and Brittany is just about ready to return to work. She plans
to achieve her goal of 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding and pumping during
working hours. A sales professional, she doesn’t work in an office. “I know it
will be tough,” she says,” but it’s doable. There’s always a way. Similar to our
NICU experience, people do understand that you will do whatever you can for
your child.”
Human Milk in the NICU
Walker Jacoby at 4½ months
The practices that you promote today have life-long implications that extend far and 11 lbs.
beyond discharge. As you well know, and Brittany’s experience demonstrates,
moms can be unprepared for the NICU and need an advocate to help them achieve their breastfeeding
goals. We are here to help because by promoting and providing human milk to babies in the NICU, we
know that research demonstrates:
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ength of stay was reduced from an average of 88 days to 73 days for babies fed more than 50 mL/
kg day of breastmilk versus preterm formula.
• Days of oxygen therapy was significantly reduced from 33 days for infants fed preterm formula to only
19 days for infants fed fortified human milk.
• Late onset sepsis was reduced from 22% for infants fed preterm formula to only 19% for infants fed
fortified human milk.*
Breastfeeding Reduces Risk
Necrotizing
Enterocolitis
Ear Infections
Serious
respiratory
tract infections Gastroenteritis
50%
Re-admission
of infant
50%
60%
72%
86%
Research also shows that the lack of human
milk may have serious consequences.
Literature states that infants who are
exclusively fed human milk are 6 to 7
times less likely to develop necrotizing
enterocolitis (NEC - a condition associated
with a high mortality rate in the NICU).
Studies also indicate that infants who are
partially fed human milk and given formula
supplementation are 3 times less likely to
develop NEC than babies exclusively fed
formula. This translates into a 66% reduction
in the risk of developing NEC.
Our Commitment
Medela is committed to helping NICU professionals help their patients achieve these critical health
benefits through the latest in research and education as well as a portfolio of products including
diagnostic equipment to assist in weight and nutrition management. Medela’s products support mother
and baby from birth to discharge and beyond. Our commitment to your patients, their families and you
is why the majority of NICUs across the country have chosen Medela products to meet their needs.
*Schanler, R.J., et.al.;”Feeding Strategies for Premature Infants: Beneficial Outcomes of Feeding Fortified Human Milk Versus Preterm Formula.” Pediatrics. Vol. 103, No.6 June 1999.
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Product News
Waterless Milk Warmer™
For Human Milk Preparation
Safe – Consistent – Convenient
•Warms milk to temperatures consistent with expressed human milk.*
•Affordable bedside unit circulates dry heat.
•Eliminates contamination risk of warming milk with tap water.
•Safely thaws milk to refrigerated temperature in less than 33 minutes
for storage up to 24 hours.
•Accommodates most human milk containers and 1 mL - 60 mL
syringes used in NICUs.
•Easy-to-use, easy-to-clean.
*Temperatures may vary depending on actual container used. Device is optimized for syringes and Medela sterile 80 mL breastmilk storage containers.
BabyWeigh™ II Scale – Trade-In Promotion
Improved technology provides simple, reliable & accurate test weight results to
support your efforts in establishing breastfeeding success.
Trade-In One (1) owned BabyWeigh Scale and receive
$150.00 credit* towards the purchase of a BabyWeigh II
Scale. Contact your Medela Sales Consultant or Customer
Service for processing. (While supplies last.)
*Credit subject to approval.
Simple – 1-2-3 push-button weight measurement
and easy-to-read LCD display.
Reliable – Compensates for moving baby.
Simple as 1-2-3
Accurate – Displays weight in 2 gram increments.
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What’s New?
Medela.com
Medela.com has a new look and feel. Professionals and
Accounts now have a dedicated navigational tab located
at the top rightside column and also on the footer of
Medela.com. Once on the Professionals landing page,
one simple click on “Make this my Medela home” will
return you to this portion of the site every time you visit.
Information for lactation professionals and childbirth
educators is now consolidated under Lactation
Professional Information. There are also additional
links to NICU Information, Education & Research and
Products on the main Professional page.
Any questions or feedback, please let us know here.
Alameda County Medical Center Achieves
Baby-Friendly Status
In the U.S., thousands of infants suffer from ailments caused by suboptimal feeding practices,
such as diarrhea, respiratory and ear infections, and even allergic skin disorders. And treatment for
these ailments adds up: for diarrhea alone, the U.S. spends nearly a half billion dollars every year
to hospitalize children, most of them infants. Many of these ailments—and the steep costs—could
be prevented through breastfeeding.
To address this challenge, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s
Fund (UNICEF) teamed up to form the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI). BFHI is a global
program that celebrates hospitals and birth centers that have put in place policies and practices to
enable parents to make informed choices about how they feed and care for their babies.
As a long-time champion for breastfeeding and a company dedicated to the well-being of mothers
and babies, Medela strongly supports this important initiative. Like the BFHI, Medela believes
breastmilk is the optimal nutrition for the growth, development and health of babies—and the
encouragement and support of breastfeeding is our sole focus.
As such, we would like to offer our congratulations for our accounts that have received the BabyFriendly hospital designation. Alameda County Medical Center the latest hospital to receive this
honor, bringing the total number of Baby-Friendly hospitals
and birth centers in the U.S. to 140! Medela applauds
For a complete list of
Alameda County Medical Center for this accomplishment,
Baby-Friendly Hospitals and Birth Centers
as well as the other Baby-Friendly hospitals in the U.S.
Click here.
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Partners in Promoting Breastfeeding: WIC Works
Advocates Rally in Washington to Garner Support for WIC
As a Business Council Partner in the National WIC Association (NWA), Medela
representatives attended NWA’s 22nd Annual Leadership Conference in Washington,
DC and ascended onto Capitol Hill to engage support for continued government funding
for the WIC program. A bi-partisan funded program, WIC is the Special Supplemental
Nutrition Program for Women Infants and Children and has improved at-risk children’s
health, growth and development and prevented nutrition-related and other health
problems for more than 35 years. WIC serves over 9 million mothers and young
children, over half of all American’s infants and one-quarter of its children 1-5 years of
age. Medela supports WIC in its efforts to promote breastfeeding education and tools
to the US population of women, infants and children who are in need of assistance.
In Washington, roughly 150 NWA WIC Advocates heard from several speakers about WIC priorities, current USDA
research projects, and from NWA’s own Dr. Shannon Whaley, Director of Research and Evaluation at PHFE WIC, on
recent studies related to the WIC food packages and breastfeeding.
Because WIC serves more than 50 percent of all infants born in the US, it is able to provide valuable data on this
large population of low-income families. WIC has begun to explore ways to link its data collection efforts across
states to examine rates of breastfeeding, nutrition health and obesity throughout the nation.
WIC Works
At the meeting, Dr. Whaley highlighted the success of the California WIC program in
promoting breastfeeding. In Los Angeles County WIC serves over 600,000 individuals per
month in more than 90 WIC centers. WIC also serves 91% of the eligible infants and 69%
of all infants born in Los Angeles County. Through a statewide Healthy Habits Campaign,
and changes in WIC policy on when formula is introduced to expecting and new moms,
breastfeeding was promoted to WIC participants as a crucial first step in protecting the
health of mothers and infants. Data shows that breastfeeding initiation and duration rates
in California have increased significantly and other states have begun to use California as
a best practice example of using policy changes to positively impact intervention. Clearly
practice changes that emphasize breastfeeding education and support as an essential part
of high-quality maternity care proved extremely successful.
Shannon Whaley PhD.
The PHFE WIC agency, the largest local agency WIC program in the country, has also developed a Peer Counseling
Database, which helped it achieve efficiencies in peer counselor follow-up for improved breastfeeding success.
The California WIC program has been able to further develop this system, and PHFE WIC is now hosting the Peer
Counseling Database for five CA agencies and King County WA. CA WIC has also led collaborations with hospitals,
Durable Medical Equipment providers, Managed Care Organizations and pediatric offices to facilitate breastfeeding
services, including breastfeeding pump delivery. Using local market and payer knowledge, these collaborations are
able to determine the optimum delivery pathway and determine where MediCal versus WIC funds can be utilized
most efficiently.
As supporters of breastfeeding, maintain an awareness of your local WIC agency and the patients that you see who
may benefit from WIC services. More information on the NWA Leadership Conference can be found on the NWA
website http://www.nwica.org.
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Donor Milk
New Documentary Film Promotes the Value of Human Milk and Its Life Saving Benefits for NICU Babies
“Donor Milk: The Documentary” debuted in March
2012, but tells a tale that begins more than 100
years earlier. The selfless act of human milk
donation from one mother to another in need is not
new; and the facilitation of these donations via a
collection and distribution entity to provide safe and
healthy breastmilk to infants in need has been in
existence for generations. The first milk bank was
established in Europe in 1909.
West coped with the loss by writing and directing a
short film based on their experiences, co-produced
by Jarred King.
He later went on to work with producer Jarred
King to create the full-length film, Donor Milk: The
Documentary. The film was released on March 1
and can be seen in cities across the country. Please
visit www.facebook.com/donormilk to find a
showing near you.
The understanding that human milk is a precious
commodity, and that milk banks are critically
important to the survival of NICU babies is clearly
at the heart of the film, but Donor Milk, takes a step
further and chronicles the healing power drawn
from donating human milk for moms who have
experienced the loss of their own infant. Today, 1
in 8 infants are born who require care in the NICU;
Donor Milk highlights the heroine women whose
donated human milk has helped to make sure their
hold on life is a little bit stronger.
Screenwriter and filmmaker Kevin West, recounted
that he and his wife were touched by the tragedy of
losing their own baby, late in term. His wife was able
to cope with the loss by donating her breastmilk to
sick and preterm babies in need.
Every baby’s life is lived for a unique purpose. Overcome by her loss, a
mother survives by sharing her baby’s gift of life. Every baby deserves
human breast milk and every grieving mother deserves to heal.
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Medela, Inc., 1101 Corporate Drive, McHenry, IL 60050
Phone: (800) 435-8316 or (815) 363-1166 Fax: (815) 363-1246
Email: [email protected] www.medela.com
Medela, Symphony and Calma are registered trademarks of Medela Holding AG.
Preemie+, BabyWeigh and Waterless Milk Warmer are trademarks of Medela, Inc..
1547767 A 0412
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© 2012 Medela, Inc.
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