"It's well established that breastfeeding is beneficial to both babies and mothers," said Patricia Buss, M.D., Medical and Health Care Services Operations officer for Health Net, Inc. However, recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that some breastfeeding rates are relatively low. "For example," Buss said, "the CDC reported in 2012 that, while 75 percent of new mothers in the United States start out breastfeeding, less than half breastfed their babies for six months."
Buss points out, "The American Academy of Pediatrics advises that women breastfeed their babies exclusively for six months, and continue to breastfeed for one year or longer, along with giving their child pediatrician-recommended foods. Although more moms are now breastfeeding their babies, Health Net's goal is to not only increase the percentage of breastfeeding moms, but also to help increase the average number of months that they breastfeed."
To help expand awareness of this goal, Health Net provides its members with breastfeeding education and resources. Members can access lactation education and support services, including access to international, board-certified lactation consultants through Health Net, their medical groups, or at healthnet.com - depending on their enrollment. Additionally, Health Net supports healthy outcomes for mothers and babies by providing breast pumps to new mothers which are covered under members' preventive care benefits.
The Benefits of Breastfeeding
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health (OWH), breastfeeding benefits babies, moms, and possibly society as a whole. The OWH states that some of the advantages of breastfeeding include:
Other factors that OWH says are worth considering include:
For more information about National Breastfeeding Month, visit http://www.womenshealth.gov and http://www.usbreastfeeding.org
Medical Advice Disclaimer
The information provided is not intended as medical advice or as a substitute for professional medical care. Always seek the advice of your physician or other health provider for any questions you may have regarding your medical condition and follow your health care provider’s instructions.
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