{"title":"Educating Housekeeping Staff to Encourage a Culture Supportive of Breastfeeding.","authors":"Julie Blumenfeld, Melanie Miller","doi":"10.1891/JPE-2021-0033","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Latina women breastfeed at high rates immediately postpartum but also frequently introduce formula. Formula negatively affects breastfeeding, and maternal and child health. The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) has been shown to improve breastfeeding outcomes. A BFHI-designated hospital must facilitate lactation education for clinical and non-clinical personnel. Housekeepers, often the sole hospital employees sharing the linguistic and cultural heritage of Latina patients, have frequent patient interactions. This pilot project at a community hospital in New Jersey investigated Spanish-speaking housekeeping staff's attitudes and knowledge regarding breastfeeding before and after implementing a lactation education program. After the training the housekeeping staff overall had more positive attitudes toward breastfeeding. This may, in the short-term, contribute to a hospital culture more supportive of breastfeeding.</p>","PeriodicalId":46449,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Perinatal Education","volume":"32 2","pages":"116-126"},"PeriodicalIF":0.6000,"publicationDate":"2023-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10321451/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Journal of Perinatal Education","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1891/JPE-2021-0033","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Latina women breastfeed at high rates immediately postpartum but also frequently introduce formula. Formula negatively affects breastfeeding, and maternal and child health. The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) has been shown to improve breastfeeding outcomes. A BFHI-designated hospital must facilitate lactation education for clinical and non-clinical personnel. Housekeepers, often the sole hospital employees sharing the linguistic and cultural heritage of Latina patients, have frequent patient interactions. This pilot project at a community hospital in New Jersey investigated Spanish-speaking housekeeping staff's attitudes and knowledge regarding breastfeeding before and after implementing a lactation education program. After the training the housekeeping staff overall had more positive attitudes toward breastfeeding. This may, in the short-term, contribute to a hospital culture more supportive of breastfeeding.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Perinatal Education (JPE) is the leading peer-reviewed journal specifically for childbirth educators. Through evidence-based articles, the JPE advances the knowledge of aspiring and seasoned educators in any setting-independent or private practice, community, hospital, nursing or midwifery school-and informs educators and other health care professionals on research that will improve their practice and their efforts to support natural, safe, and healthy birth. The JPE also publishes features that provide practical resources and advice health care professionals can use to enhance the quality and effectiveness of their care or teaching to prepare expectant parents for birth. The journal''s content focuses on pregnancy, childbirth, the postpartum period, breastfeeding, neonatal care, early parenting, and young family development. In addition to childbirth educators, the JPE''s readers include nurses, midwives, physicians, and other professionals involved with perinatal education and maternal-child health care.