Breastfeeding
Information on the MO Chapter AAP Breastfeeding Project/Grant
The Missouri Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DoHSS) entered into a three year collaborative contract beginning in 2005 to develop a peer-to-peer breastfeeding educational program in an effort to increase breastfeeding rates in the state of Missouri. This grant was founded out of a desire to meet or exceed the Healthy People 2010 goals related to Breastfeeding.
The Healthy People 2010 goals for breastfeeding are for 75% of mothers to initiate exclusive breastfeeding, for 50% of mothers to be breastfeeding the infant at 6 months of age, and for 25% of mothers to be breastfeeding to some degree at the infant’s first birthday. The latest CDC data shows initiation rates in Missouri to be around 66%, rate at 6 months to be 32% and one year rate to be at approximately 15%.
The first year of the education program focused on hospitals, physician’s offices and nurse call centers in the Kansas City area. The second year of the program focused on the metro-St. Louis area and incorporated expanding the education program to include members of Missouri Chapter of American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (MoACOG).
Up to the point in time at which this informational piece was authored (summer, 2007), over 600 health care professionals have attended the educational program.The third and final year of the program will focus on southwest Missouri, specifically the Joplin and Springfield areas.
Currently, we are in negotiation with DoHSS to continue this contract, with the goal of increasing breastfeeding friendly practices in hospitals across the state, as well as increasing breastfeeding resources for mothers in both Obstetrician and primary care offices. Though our collaborative contract with the state is a novel program, we hope it will serve as a template for other state AAP chapters to emulate.
We are indebted to the DoHSS for their vision and willingness to partner with us as we work to improve the health of the children of Missouri. As the Missouri AAP Chapter Breastfeeding Coordinator, I would welcome your comments, questions and concerns.
Thomas W. Tryon, M.D., FAAP,
Breastfeeding Coordinator,
President of the Missouri Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics
If your practice is interested in receiving this program, please contact Misty Patterson, Project Manager, at 573-446-6331 or mpatterson@moaap.org