Breastfeeding Support at the Workplace Can Have Bottom Line Impact

from Business, Babies the Bottom Line:
Corporate Innovations and Best Practices in Maternal and Child Health

Washington Business Group on Health Page 33

Employers that provide support for new mothers who wish to continue to breast-feed after returning to work can reap substantial benefits. While there is well-documented evidence in the medical literature that breast-fed babies are healthier than formula-fed babies, until recently there have been no analyses of the impact on employer costs of programs that support breastfeeding.

"There is a strong cultural component surrounding breast-feeding that needs to be addressed through all available routes including obstetricians, pediatricians, employers, women, men, and state and local health departments" Cris Bisgard, M.S., MPH Delta Air Lines, Inc.

In a recent study of lactation programs run by LADWP and the Aerospace Corporation, infants who were breast-fed had 33 percent fewer illnesses than bottle fed infants and 21 percent fewer illnesses that led parent's absence from work. The overall net impact of the programs was to decrease absenteeism by 28 percent and sick child health care claims by 36 percent.

Women working outside the home tend to breast-feed their infants for shorter periods than nonemployed mothers. Although 55 percent of working mothers breast-feed, only 10 percent continue breast-feeding for six months after birth, compared to 24 percent of mothers not employed. The Healthy People 2000 goal is to have 75 percent of mothers breast-feeding directly after birth and 50 percent until the child is 5-6 months old.

Women often discontinue breast-feeding upon return to work because of poor workplace support and/or facilities. Mothers must be able to express milk regularly in order to maintain their supply. Employers can help by allowing breaks and flexible work hours so that women can pump or breastfeed. They can provide a comfortable and private space for pumping, and rent or purchase electric breastpumps to shorten the time employees need to express their milk. They can also provide refrigerated space to store milk and access to a lactation consultant, and can educate employees, their families and supervisors about the importance of breast-feeding and encourage their support.

" Fathers can make or break the breast-feeding experience." Rona Cohen, R.N., M.N., FPNP, IBCLC Los Angeles Department of Water and Power

While more and more companies are implementing work and family programs such as day care arrangements, flexible work schedules, and prenatal education, few have instituted on-site lactation programs. It is becoming increasingly clear, however, that companies that do so experience reduced turnover after birth of an employee's child, higher employee productivity, lower employee absenteeism and lower child medical costs. Lactation programs also serve as an added recruitment incentive for women.

"The key to success," says Rona Cohen, lactation consultant to LADWP and the Aerospace Corporation and Sanvita national program manager, is a "comprehensive program with multiple aspects of support." While proper facilities are important, even more significant are visibility and outreach efforts to all of a company's populations, education of both the mother and father, counseling by on-site lactation professionals, 24-hour access to help and peer support. "Making a room available without pumps and little flexibility to use them doesn't constitute an effective lactation program," observes Cohen.

For more information and the complete text of the document please contact:

Business, Babies the Bottom Line: Corporate Innovations and Best Practices in Maternal and Child Health
Washington Business Group on Health
777 N. Capitol Street, N.E. Suite 800
Washington, D.C. 20002
Phone: 202-408-9320
URL: www.wbgh.com

NPIN Acquisition: N00233. April 1997.