CONTACT: Roz Hutchinson, director of Communication and Public Relations, Via Christi Wichita Health Network, 316-268-5645 or Roz_Hutchinson@Via-Christi.org
WICHITA, JUNE 15, 2009 - Via Christi Breastfeeding Clinic celebrated its first birthday Tuesday, June 16 — just as some of the babies who’ve benefited from its services were getting ready to celebrate theirs.
The first such clinic in the Wichita area, it has helped 1,200 patients (600 client mothers and their babies), including women who delivered at Via Christi and at other hospitals. Lactation consultants and nurses from Via Christi NewLife Center work in the clinic, helping mothers on any issues, weighing the infants, making recommendations and referring medical issues for physician follow- up. Baby Boutique — the first such specialty store for new mothers and mothers-to-be in Wichita — opened in St. Joseph Flower and Gift Shop in January, providing breastfeeding equipment and supplies alongside more traditional baby gifts.
“Confidence is what so many women lack,” said Debra Swift, RN, of the Breastfeeding Clinic and NewLife Center. “It used to be that mothers would learn from their peers and help each other through any problems, but we’ve gotten away from that in our culture. Someone needs to give them the right direction so they’ll have more success.”
Family Medicine resident Marc Carrigan’s wife Stephanie delivered their first child at the NewLife Center in mid-April. “He’s a good feeder now, but we had a little trouble at first,” said Stephanie as Eli ended his first month. She delivered on a Saturday, went home on Monday and visited the breastfeeding clinic on Wednesday. “I used the lactation services while I was in the hospital so when I had some concerns I knew where to go,” she said. Because her milk hadn’t come in, she was concerned about Eli’s weight, thought he was getting a little jaundiced and wasn’t sure he was latching on well. She was right about all three.
“When we got to the clinic they said he was jaundiced, so they called our doctor and sent us to get a lab test at St. Joseph. They worked with him and weighed him and we started supplementation with a tube. When we went back a week later for a weight check, we were able to stop supplementation because he’d gained a pound,” she added. “In two weeks time, I was feeling comfortable about everything and he’s done really well.”
Swift said women understand how good breastfeeding is for their babies — and the World Health Organization and American Academy of Pediatrics recommend it. Immune factors in breast milk cannot be provided by formula, and there is decreased obesity in women who nurse — and in their babies.
“We wrote our proposal to increase the duration of breastfeeding,” Swift said of the Via Christi Foundation and Regional Medical Center-sponsored clinic. “We agreed to call women at three months and six months, to see if the clinic is providing needed support.”
Healthy People 2010, a project of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, set a goal of 50 percent of mothers continuing to nurse for six months. By contrast, birth registrar statistics in Kansas showed just 38 percent of mothers still nursed at three months, 21 percent at six months — not a good rate, Swift said.
“Our results were outstanding,” said Swift. “Sixty-two percent of our mothers continued to nurse at three months — 61 percent still were nursing at six months.” Because nursing saves the cost of formula, it’s a good practice in this economy, Swift said. “If you’re going green, you won’t have bottles or formula containers in the trash. “There are a lot of positives.”
