DC Perinatal Lactation Quality Care Collaborative

The DC Perinatal Lactation Quality Care Collaborative (PLQCC) is a city-wide collaborative between DC hospitals/birthing facilities organized by the DC Breastfeeding Coalition (DCBFC) to bring facility leaders together to review evidence-based best practices and learn from each other's successes and challenges addressing breastfeeding-related maternity care practices. The DCBFC is excited by the opportunity that this collaborative brings to improve the breastfeeding experience for babies and their families in the District of Columbia. DCBFC has spent the last two years working with District maternity facilities to encourage the adoption of maternity practices and policies that improve breastfeeding-friendliness. Most of the facilities reported similar barriers to achieving this goal. It is our hope that these quarterly meetings will facilitate in-depth discussions of the challenges and solutions to breastfeeding barriers. The quarterly meeting format will alternate face-to-face meetings with teleconference meetings in order to encourage maximum participation.

Why is it important for us to address these issues? The consistent evidence of the influence of maternity hospital settings on breastfeeding has driven the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to take on improving maternity care as a key strategy for increasing rates of breastfeeding. According to the 2010 National Breastfeeding Report Card released by the CDC, 75% of women across the Unites States start breastfeeding-achieving the Healthy People 2010 goal for breastfeeding initiation. However, breastfeeding initiation rates in the District of Columbia have decreased from 69.6% in 2006 to 64.3% in 2007. Additionally, the District has one of the highest rates (33.9%) of infants receiving formula before two days of life. There are currently no maternity facilities designated as Baby- Friendly in the District. We should be doing everything we can to promote breastfeeding at our birthing facilities in the nation's capitol.

It will take a concerted effort from all who care for mothers and babies to make breastfeeding the norm in Washington, DC. Please email info@dcbfc.org if you would like to become a member of the DC- PLQCC.