Abstract
Background:
Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine (BFLM) programs at academic medical centers have the potential to transform the care of lactating people. Our hospital system initiated a BFLM program in 2016, culminating in a division in 2022.
Objectives:
To describe the impacts of a multidisciplinary academic BFLM program in its first 8 years.
Methods:
We created an outpatient BFLM clinic and support group, increased BFLM and lactation consultant (LC) coverage, dedicated a medical director and nurse manager for lactation, and expanded University-wide education. In 2017, our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) instituted a donor milk program. We started an in-person fellowship in 2017 and a virtual fellowship program in 2022. In 2019, we founded a lactation research consortium. These services coalesced to form the first Division of Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine in 2022. We tracked our impact using process outcomes (numbers of providers, visits, grants) and patient outcomes (breastfeeding rates). Simple frequencies and p-control charts were used to track access to care and breastfeeding outcomes.
Results:
From 2016 to 2024, we increased inpatient and outpatient care by BFLM providers and LCs. Breastfeeding rates on the postpartum floors increased by 7% between 2016 and 2024 (p < 0.01). In the NICU, there was a trend toward increased patients receiving any breastmilk and discharged receiving any maternal milk. Challenges included staff training, reimbursement, medical record infrastructure, and creating/accessing accurate data reports.
Conclusion:
A multidisciplinary BFLM program at a large academic medical center showed promise for improving patient access to care and breastfeeding outcomes.
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