| Description |
Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend breastfeeding within the first hour of birth and exclusively for the first six months. Breastfeeding is crucial for infant health, reducing childhood infections, and supporting cognitive development. Despite high initiation rates in the U.S., breastfeeding is challenging for refugee mothers due to language barriers, lack of insurance, and cultural issues. Local Problem: In 2020, Utah's 6-month exclusive breastfeeding rate was 26.6%, higher than the U.S. average. However, refugee mothers face additional barriers, including language diversity and a lack of supportive clinical policies. Currently, the clinic selected for this project does not have a breastfeeding policy for pregnant or postpartum refugee mothers. Methods: This project was conducted at an urban family medicine clinic in Salt Lake City. The clinical team included residents, physicians, nurse practitioners, and medical assistants. The project provided a tailored education intervention and toolkit to address the barriers refugee women face in breastfeeding. Interventions: A pre-implementation survey assessed clinicians' comfort and knowledge about breastfeeding among refugee women. Training and a breastfeeding toolkit were provided. A post-survey assessed providers' knowledge, confidence, and the breastfeeding toolkit. Results: A diverse group of clinicians attended the training (n=28). The participants were physicians (n=5), nurse practitioners (n=2), residents (n=7), and medical assistants (n=14). Survey results showed an increase in confidence, with 55.6 % (5/9) of participants expressing high confidence post-implementation compared to only 7.1% (1/14) in the pre-implementation survey. Conclusion: The breastfeeding toolkit enhanced clinician engagement and confidence in promoting breastfeeding among refugee women. |
