Montfiore Promotes the Value of Breastfeeding During World Breastfeeding Week

Bronx Borough President’s Office Presents Proclamation Supporting Breastfeeding

Montefiore Medical Center is increasing its efforts to raise awareness about the benefits of breastfeeding with a comprehensive calendar of events in recognition of World Breastfeeding Week 2014. Montefiore’s week-long program, which culminated today, helped educate patients, the community and associates about how valuable breastfeeding is for moms and babies.

At the ceremony on August 8th at the Montefiore Medical Center Wakefield Campus, Melissa Cebollero, director of Health & Human Services of the Bronx Borough President’s Office, presented a proclamation to Montefiore to recognize its efforts to promote breastfeeding.

While breastfeeding plays an important role in the bonding of a mother and child, it also has significant health benefits that cannot be achieved with formula, according to Montefiore experts. These include:

• Breastfed infants have decreased risk of diarrhea and other gastrointestinal diseases, respiratory and ear infections, allergic skin disorders and sudden infant death syndrome.
• Formula interferes with the immune system.
• Breastfeeding decreases hospitalizations and pediatric clinic visits.
• Breastfed infants have decreased rates of type 1 and type 2 diabetes and childhood leukemia.
• Women who breastfeed have a lower risk of diabetes, breast and ovarian cancers.
• Breastfeeding translates to hundreds of dollars of savings at the family level and billions of dollars at the national level.
• Breastfeeding for nine months reduces a baby’s odds of becoming overweight by more than 30 percent.
• Montefiore’s patient outreach efforts educate women about breastfeeding prior to delivery, making certain that an explanation of their options is devoid of commercial interests. Montefiore will not distribute formula to new mothers unless they request it and they have the opportunity to discuss their concerns about their baby’s feeding with a trained staff member.  Additionally, mothers have the right to indicate that bottles and pacifiers are not to be used with their children while in the hospital. In addition to helping patients make the choice that’s right for them, Montefiore offers lactation stations on its campuses for employees who breastfeed. Each station is a private room that contains a sink, refrigerator, and several chairs, providing a sanitary and secure location for associates to pump their breast milk.

Andrew Racine, M.D., Ph.D., senior vice president and chief medical officer,  and Talitha Bruney, M.D., Ob/Gyn and co-chair of the breastfeeding committee, with Beverley Barber and baby Madison at Montefiore Medical Center during breastfeeding week.

Proudly displaying the proclamation from the Bronx Borough President’s office are members of the interdisciplinary team that promote breastfeeding at Montefiore Medical Center (l-r): Dianna Jacob, Joan O’Brien, R.N., Andrew Racine, M.D., Ph.D., Sheri Nemerofsky, M.D., Talitha Bruney, M.D., Deborah Campbell, M.D., David Garry, D.O., Bolanie Akingboye, D.O., and Abieyuwa Iyare, M.D.