BREASTFEEDING-FRIENDLY WORKPLACE AWARD 2003: UCSD HEALTHCARE

Once thought to be "no longer worth the bother", breastfeeding has been rediscovered by modern science as a means to save lives, reduce illness, foster optimum development and protect the environment. Policy makers are increasingly recognizing that breastfeeding promotion efforts can reduce healthcare costs and enhance maternal and infant well-being.

Breastfeeding provides optimal nutrition, enzymes, growth and developmental hormones, and infection fighting factors to decrease risk for a large number of both acute and chronic diseases. Breastmilk and breastfeeding supply the optimal mixture of nutritional factors and growth hormones to enhance cognitive development. Breastfeeding promotes strong families by improving the health of the mother, promoting optimal child spacing, and establishing a close bond between mother and infant, fostering communication and emotional development.

Breastfeeding also provides significant economic benefits to the family (and the community) by reducing unnecessary expenditures for infant formula, reducing health care costs, reducing employee absenteeism to care for a sick child, and decreasing scarce resource use and waste. Breastfeeding cost effectiveness studies reveal that as little as three months of exclusive breastfeeding can save $200 - $400 per child in health care costs during the first year of life.

"Low breastfeeding rates are a serious public health challenge, particularly in certain minority communities. With scientific evidence indicating that breastfeeding can play an important role in an infant's health, the time has come for us to work together to promote optimal breastfeeding practices." David Satcher MD, former US Surgeon General & Assistant Secretary for Health

The San Diego Breastfeeding Coalition was founded to make healthcare professionals and the public more aware of the benefits of breastfeeding, and the risks of artificial feeding, and to help carry forward the art as well as the science of breastfeeding. As one of the major perceived obstacles to breastfeeding is working outside the home, we have paid special attention to the needs and challenges of these women. We have tried to educate employers as to the documented benefits of breastfeeding to their bottom line: less employee turnover, less days lost from work to care for a sick child, less health care expenses, and increased employee productivity, loyalty and morale. When an employee returns from maternity leave, she wants to be productive...and a good mother at the same time. As part of the global campaign to generate public awareness and support for breastfeeding, each year the San Diego County Breastfeeding Coalition recognizes an employer or workplace for it's contribution to the support of it's breastfeeding employees.

Past award winners have been:
1996 - Hewlett-Packard
1997 - US Naval Medical Center, San Diego
1998 - Sea World
1999 - Qualcomm and People's Organic Foods Market
2000 - Aetna US Healthcare
2001 - City of Escondido, Kyocera America, Inc. and the San Diego Spirit (women's soccer team)
2002 - Naval Hospital, Camp Pendleton

This year it is our privilege to present the Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace Award to UCSD Healthcare for their demonstrated support of their breastfeeding staff. An Honorable Mention was awarded to Indian Health Council, Inc. in recognition of their Breastfeeding Room and diligent progress toward workplace breastfeeding policies.

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