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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Shannon E. Whaley, PhD, Special Projects Division, PHFE-WIC, 12781 Schabarum Ave., Irwindale, CA 91706, 626 856-6650 x309, Shannon@phfewic.org, Karen Meehan, MPH, RD, IBCLC, PHFE-WIC Program, 12781 Schabarum Avenue, Irwindale, CA 91706, and Eloise Jenks, MEd, RD, Executive Director, PHFE-WIC Program, 12781 Schabarum Avenue, Irwindale, CA 91706.

In 2005, PHFE-WIC conducted a survey of 5015 WIC participants in Los Angeles County, California. A primary focus was to examine breastfeeding trends among this primarily Hispanic, low-income population. In addition to presenting estimates of breastfeeding rates, this study elucidates factors contributing to early weaning and formula introduction, such that interventions to increase exclusive breastfeeding can be tailored to address these factors directly. Returning to work, WIC breastfeeding support, and reasons that women stop breastfeeding are examined. Remarkably, 86.7% of women reported initiation of breastfeeding. At 3 months, 22.6% of infants were exclusively breastfed and 59.8% were breastfed to some extent. At 6 months, these rates dropped to 7.8% and 41%, respectively. At 1 year, 15.6% of infants were receiving some breast milk. Over 29% of women returned to work in the first year of the infant's life, and returning to work was significantly related to early weaning. Despite the California law that provides workplace accommodation for pumping, only 34.9% reported that their workplace accommodated that provision. Nearly 70% of women reported receiving “a lot” of breastfeeding support from WIC. These women breastfed for significantly longer than women who reported receiving some or no support from WIC. Although the national goal for initiation of breastfeeding has been reached, significant gaps remain in achieving goals for continued breastfeeding. Interventions that focus on increasing breastfeeding support for women returning to work, and increasing WIC-based support of breastfeeding hold promise for protecting a woman's right to breastfeed and extending duration of exclusive breastfeeding.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the breastfeeding rates and trends of low-income women participating in the WIC Program in Los Angeles County.
• Identify at least three barriers low-income women face in breastfeeding exclusively.
• Recognize how these data inform two specific interventions that can increase exclusive breastfeeding rates of low-income women.

Keywords: Breast Feeding, Data/Surveillance

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No