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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Alena M. Clark, MPH, RD¹, Elizabeth Adams, PhD, RD², and Jennifer Anderson, PhD, RD¹. (1) Food Science and Human Nutrition, Colorado State University, Gifford Building - Room 230, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1571, 970-491-5676, Alena.Clark@Colostate.Edu, (2) Oregon Health and Sciences University, LEND Program, Portland, OR 97239

Breast milk has been shown to provide benefits to both the mother and infant. Despite recognized benefits, the fourth cited reason Colorado mothers ceased breastfeeding was because they must return to work or school. Every day, three out of five children are in child care. With the decline in breastfeeding often coinciding with mothers return to work, it is important to identify other community resources who can offer support to these mothers. Based on a recent needs assessment (N=267) that investigated the role of child care providers as potential supporters for breastfeeding mothers, a website that is targeted towards child care providers was desired. The objective of this research study was to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of an infant feeding, specifically breastfeeding, website for child care providers. Group discussions with child care providers led the development of InfaNET. InfaNET is a theory-driven (Social Learning Theory) website designed to provide child care providers with updated information in English and Spanish on breastfeeding, bottle feeding and introducing solid foods to infants (<12 months). A recent process evaluation (N=20) determined that the content and visual/graphic design of the website was appealing to both child care providers and infant feeding experts. Currently, a quasi-experimental research design study is being conducted (N=178) to determine if InfaNET is an effective means of providing infant feeding information to child care providers as well as a means to elicit changes in practices to create a supportive environment for breastfeeding in child care centers.

Learning Objectives:

• 1. Articulate the need to include child care providers as a community resource for supporting working breastfeeding mothers and their infants.
• 2. List three areas that child care providers perceive as important educational needs to provide a more supportive environment for working breastfeeding mothers and their infants.
• 3. Define behavioral changes that occur when child care providers have access to a website that is specific to their needs on infant feeding, specifically breastfeeding.

Keywords: Infant Health, Child Care

Related Web page: www.infanet.cahs.colostate.edu

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered