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The Florida breastfeeding coalition . Business Case for Breastfeeding Community Project University of Central Florida Ashley Bailes , Stacy Howard, Lyndsey Sutherland, Isabelle Waddel , and Eve Wittlin -Young . Business Case for breastfeeding: Plan of action.
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The Florida breastfeeding coalition Business Case for Breastfeeding Community Project University of Central Florida Ashley Bailes, Stacy Howard, Lyndsey Sutherland, Isabelle Waddel, and Eve Wittlin-Young
Business Case for breastfeeding:Plan of action • Implement a comprehensive lactation support program in businesses in Central Florida • Lactation support programs are aimed towards breastfeeding employees in the workplace and include: • Support from supervisors, employers, colleagues, and other mothers • Flexible return to work options • Education and access to professional lactation support • Private room or space for the expression of milk during work hours • Time and opportunity to express milk while at work
Benefits of Breastfeeding • Breastfeeding decreases the incidence of a variety of infectious diseases in infants, including gastrointestinal illnesses, bacteremia, pulmonary infections, and necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). • Saves money for family and community • Formula costs avg $1949 a year (30 ounces/day) • Excess of 2,033 doctor visits, 212 days in hospital, 609 prescriptions due to illness caused from the immature immune system of the baby • 3.6 billion dollar savings in US annual health costs • Decreases cancers for mom such as breast, uterine, and ovarian • Mothers have lower risk for CAD, DMII, Osteoporosis • Healthy babies = less missed work days for mom • Insurance benefits
Importance of a Lactation program in the workplace • Working mothers are the fastest growing population of the workforce • 55% of full time employed mothers have children that are under the age of three • Low breastfeeding rates in the U.S. may be due to increasing rates of women within the workforce, and due to the lack of a workplace lactation program • Breastfeeding benefits everyone • Mothers: Decreased risk of disease • Babies: Decreased adverse health events • Employers: Decreased employee absenteeism, increased employee retention • Society: Reduced economic burden
Collaborating Organizations • Project Partner: The Florida Breastfeeding Coalition • Business Case for Breastfeeding Toolkit • Breastfeeding Friendly Employer Award • Target Employers and Companies: • Universal Studios, Orlando • Winnie Palmer Hospital for Mothers and Babies
Goals • Educate Universal Studios and Winnie Palmer Hospital on the importance and benefits of breastfeeding • Increase the awareness on ways breastfeeding can be promoted in the workplace • Raise existing awarded business standards and reach the highest acceptable breastfeeding award • Increase rates of the lactating staff by establishing a breastfeeding friendly workplace • Employed women will breastfeed to the recommended one year and will feel supported in the workplace
Assessment of Target businesses • Universal Studios • Popular Central Florida resort and theme park, located in Orlando, Florida • “Committed to improving the quality of life where our guests and Team Members live, work and play” (Universal Orlando Resort, 2012) • Winnie Palmer Hospital for Mothers and Babies • Part of Orlando Health, located in downtown Orlando, Florida. • Highest number of births in the state of Florida, with over 14,500 babies born annually (Orlando Health, 2012) • “To improve the health and quality of life of the individuals and communities we serve” (Orlando Health, 2012)
Evidence • 77% reduction of lost work time related to infant illness ($60,000 annual savings) • 72.5% increase in breastfeeding rates at 6 months (National average 21%) • 62% fewer prescriptions • For each infant that a working mother breastfeeds the individual employer saves between $331 and $471 in healthcare dollars • Cigna’s annual savings $240,000 healthcare expenses • Home Depot in Atlanta Georgia, established a lactation program that revealed a cost savings of $42,000/year on average due to lower absenteeism rates Heath Resources and Services Administration, n.d.
outcomes • Initial goals of starting a lactation program in Universal Orlando and Winnie Palmer were not achieved • In spite of vigorous efforts and communication outreaches, both companies were uninterested in the proposed project • Many unforeseen goals were achieved • Became proficient Business Case Outreach Workers • Better understand all the barriers that working mothers face to maintain breastfeeding • Acknowledge the importance for supporting, encouraging, and promoting breastfeeding exclusivity for the health and wellbeing of mothers and babies
Future Recommendations • Business Case Outreach workers should start with finding a local business that is interested in starting a lactation program • Sufficient time should be allotted to arrange meetings, educate employees, implement the plan, and evaluate and maintain the program • All efforts should be made to introduce and expand this program to all organizations in Central Florida and statewide as it has shown much success in other businesses when implemented. • All efforts and advancements were forwarded to program director for the BCBF in order to maintain contact, avoid redundancy, and provide support to businesses if requested in the future.
References • Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2009).Breastfeeding and Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes in Developed Countries. Retrieved March 22, 2012 fromhttp://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/tp/brfouttp.htm • American Academy of Pediatrics. (2005). Breastfeeding and the use of human milk. Pediatrics,115(2), 496-506. • Ball, T. & Wright, A. (1999). Health care costs of formula feeding for the first year of life Pediatrics, 103(4), 870-876 • Carothers, C., & Hare, I. (2010). The business case for breastfeeding. Breastfeeding Medicine, • 5229-231.doi:10.1089/bfm.2010.0046 • Florida Breastfeeding Coalition. (2009). Breastfeeding in the news. Retrieved March 3, 2012 from http://www.flbreastfeeding.org/index.htm • Godfrey, J., & Lawrence, R. (2010). Toward optimal health: The maternal benefits of breastfeeding. Journal of Women's Health. 19(9), 1597-1602. doi:10.1089/jwh.2010.2290
References • Health Resources and Services Administration. (n.d.). The business case for breastfeeding: Employer spotlights. Retrieved April 6, 2012 from http://mchb.hrsa.gov/pregnancyandbeyond/breastfeeding/toolkit/employerspotlights.pdf • Mills, S. (2009). Workplace lactation programs: a critical element for breastfeeding mothers' success. AAOHN Journal, 57(6), 227-231. • Ogbuanu, C., Probst, J., Laditka, S., Liu, J., Baek, J., & Glover, S. (2009). Reasons why women do not initiate breastfeeding: A southeastern state study. Women's Health Issues, 19(4),268-278. • Orlando Health. (2012). Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Children: About us. Retrievedon April 4, 2012 from http://www.orlandohealth.com/winniepalmerhospital/AboutUs/AboutUs.aspx?pid=2576 • Universal Orlando Resort. (2012). Join our team: Our main attraction. Retrieved on April 4, 2012 from http://www.universalorlandojobs.com/