Facilitating Equitable Breastfeeding Among Black Women

Abstract

Exclusive human milk feeding is the preferred form of nutrition for infants from birth until six months due to the multiple nutritional and health benefits for mothers and their infants. Worldwide, breastfeeding goals fall below recommendations from the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A significant disparity exists in exclusive breastmilk feeding rates in couplets of the Black race compared to the White race. In general, Black women and their infants experience an increased risk of poor health outcomes. The risks are exponential when coupled with the races’ lower breastfeeding rates compared to their white counterparts. The project site’s exclusive breastmilk feeding rates are below national, state, and organizational targets, and a disparity exists between White and Black race exclusive breastmilk feeding rates. The paper discusses implementing staff education using the World Health Organization’s “Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding” (2018) to improve exclusive breastmilk (EBM) feeding rates in a postpartum unit. Over the 13 weeks, there was an improvement in the EBM feeding rate and a decrease in the Black/White EBM feeding disparity. The project notes the positive impact nursing staff in the postpartum setting have on reducing Black/White disparities in the first days of an infant’s life which promotes Healthy NC 2030 Health Indicator 20, infant mortality rate. By reducing Black/White disparities in breastfeeding and improving EBM feeding rates, the health benefits of breastfeeding will hopefully translate directly to improving the health outcomes of Black mothers and their infants.