Lankenau Medical Center, Paoli Hospital recognized for excellence in lactation care

Bryn Mawr, PA — Lankenau Medical Center and Paoli Hospital, both part of Main Line Health, have been recognized by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners® (IBLCE®) and International Lactation Consultant Association® (ILCA®) for excellence in lactation care.

Lankenau and Paoli received the globally recognized IBCLC Care Award for providing a lactation program for breastfeeding families and demonstrating they recently completed activities that help protect, promote, and support breastfeeding. All four Main Line Health acute care hospitals have professionals available with International Board Certified Lactation Consultant® (IBCLC®) certification.

“I’m proud that Lankenau and Paoli have been honored for the important work they do to support mothers who wish to breastfeed,” said Joseph Gobern, MD, MBA, FACOG, chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Main Line Health. “Breastfed babies may see a decreased incidence or severity in a variety of health conditions and adds possible protection against sudden infant death syndrome and asthma. In addition, mothers who breastfeed may have an easier time returning to pre-pregnancy weight and see reduced risk of premenopausal breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Supporting lactation is one of the many ways we work to provide safe, high-quality and equitable care for our community.”

Paoli and Lankenau were recognized for their successful Bridge Milk Program. Designed to help the families whose newborns require supplementation within the first week of life, the program ensures that while the mother's own milk production is being established, pasteurized human donor milk is an option to fill any nutritional or supply gaps when medically indicated. It is the seventh time winning the award for Paoli and the third for Lankenau.

IBCLCs focus on preventive care. They are available during pregnancy to assess and provide information on how to successfully initiate breastfeeding. They continue that assistance after the baby is born by helping families overcome breastfeeding challenges, providing accurate information, and continuing to support them as their baby grows. They assist families returning to work or school, help families in more unusual situations such as breastfeeding more than one baby or nursing a sick or premature infant, and help train nursing staff to manage basic breastfeeding care.

“IBCLCs and the hospitals and health care facilities who employ them provide invaluable care to breastfeeding families as well as advance global public health,” said Mona Sakr, MBBS, MSc, IBCLC, Chair of the Board of Directors of IBLCE. “These skilled lactation professionals and the healthcare institutions with which they are affiliated are demonstrating a commitment to excellence. Thank you for your dedication.”

Iona Macnab, BA(Hons), LLB, IBCLC, President of ILCA, added, "IBCLCs are the global professional standard in the clinical management of breastfeeding and lactation across diverse settings. Recognizing the facilities that invest in IBCLCs on staff with the IBCLC Care Award highlights the significant impact IBCLCs have on improving health outcomes in communities across the world."

As allied health care professionals with the leading internationally recognized certification for professional lactation services, IBCLC professionals work in hospitals and birthing centers, clinics, public health agencies, private practice, community settings, government agencies and in research. There are currently nearly 36,000 such professionals in 131 countries worldwide who are IBCLCs (www.iblce.org). The IBCLC certification program is accredited by the NCCA, the accreditation arm of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence. NCCA accreditation represents a mark of quality for certification programs.

For more information about the IBCLC Care Award program, contact IBLCE at award@iblce.org.