Hospital volunteers fill breastfeeding support gap

An innovative program that trains Houston-area hospital volunteers in the basics of breastfeeding support is helping Spanish-speaking mothers and their newborns.

"Breastfed babies tend to be healthier both in infancy and later in life, which is why physicians encourage new mothers to breastfeed," said Dr. Judy Hopkinson, a CNRC lactation physiologist and Baylor College of Medicine assistant professor of pediatrics.

Unfortunately, tight budgets and nursing shortages make it difficult for public hospitals to provide the confidence-building, one-on-one breastfeeding assistance that many new mothers need. Language barriers also compound the problem.

Many new mothers doubt their ability to breastfeed, which can cause them to abandon exclusive breastfeeding if no one steps in to help.

"An unhurried bed-side visit from a knowledgeable and supportive volunteer who can answer questions in Spanish and assist with breastfeeding technique can make all the difference in the world," said Hopkinson, who is collaborating with the Harris County Hospital District on the program.

The training program is part of an intervention study Hopkinson is conducting in cooperation with Episcopal Health Charities and the Texas Department of Health. The study, Baby-Friendly Neighborhoods (Leche de Vida), is designed to improve infant health in Houston's predominantly Spanish-speaking East End neighborhoods by increasing the rate of exclusive breastfeeding during early infancy.

The hospital-based breastfeeding volunteers provide assistance to all Spanish-speaking new mothers at Ben Taub hospital. The program also offers additional at-home breastfeeding support via the telephone or personal visits to Spanish-speaking new mothers living in this pilot program's geographic area. This includes Houston-area zip codes 77003, 77011, 77012, 77020, 77023, and 77029.

Spanish-speaking women, as well as those with limited knowledge of Spanish, are needed for the hospital-based breastfeeding support program. To learn more about becoming a volunteer, call Rosa, (713) 798-7194 or Judy, (713) 798-7008.