Collaborative is Helping Hospitals Support Breastfeeding in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley Area

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The Texas Ten Step Star Achiever Breastfeeding Learning Collaborative:  An Initiative to Improve Infant Nutrition and Care is an initiative to help Texas hospitals implement the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding to support women’s choices concerning breastfeeding and to increase exclusive breastfeeding rates.

According to the Texas Ten Step Star Achiever Regional Summary Report, in 2009, only 15 percent of infants born in South Texas were exclusively breastfed on their second day of life compared to 42 percent of infants in Texas overall. Moreover, risk for type 2 diabetes is reduced by 39% among children who were breastfed. In order to reduce health disparities, it is important to look at social and environmental factors related to disparities in breastfeeding rates. The Ten Steps have shown to improve breastfeeding outcomes and could play an important role in reducing disparities in breastfeeding rates and associated adverse health outcomes.

The Women’s Hospital at Renaissance in Texas’ Rio Grande Valley (over 85% Latino) is the area’s busiest birthing facility and is benefiting from the collaborative’s support in implementing the Ten Steps.

“The collaborative’s learning sessions, mentoring and improvement methods are opening up a new world of support,” said Amy Traylor, Director of Newborn Nursery at The Women’s Hospital at Renaissance, according to one source. “It’s also setting the stage for a culture change among mothers in this area, and providing a pathway to improve other health issues that have high rates here, such as obesity and diabetes.”

Learn more about the Texas Ten Step Star Achiever Breastfeeding Learning Collaborative here.

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