RW&CH Receives 'GIFT' Recertification

ALEXANDRIA, La., Nov. 12 – Rapides Women’s & Children’s Hospital recently received recertification in “Guided Infant Feeding Techniques,” making it one of 13 ‘Gift-certified’ facilities in Louisiana and the only one in central Louisiana.

“This tells women that our hospital is breastfeeding friendly and that they will receive all the support, education and instruction they need here at Rapides Women’s & Children’s Hospital when they choose to breastfeed their baby,” said Tracy Strange, RN, IBCLC of Rapides Women’s & Children’s Hospital’s Breastfeeding Center.

The two-year certification is awarded by the Louisiana Maternal and Child Health Coalition and the Louisiana Perinatal Commission.

Certification requires that hospitals follow criteria listed in “Ten Steps to a Healthy, Breastfed Baby,” based on the idea that breastfeeding is the preferred method of newborn and infant feeding. These guidelines address everything from doctors’ orders and staff education to pacifier use, rooming in and breastfeeding support for patients and employees who have returned to work.

“All of our staff are educated in breastfeeding instruction,” Strange said. “All of us can help.”

The Gift program is designed to increase breastfeeding initiation, duration and support for breastfeeding mothers.

“Hospital staff play a critical role in the establishment of breastfeeding and this program helps to assure that the criteria for educating new parents and hospital staff on the techniques and importance of breastfeeding have been met,” said Marci Brewer, The Gift, statewide coordinator. “It’s also a way for hospitals to enhance their breastfeeding services and promote breastfeeding as the norm.”

In September, RW&CH had a 61 percent breastfeeding initiation rate among babies in the neonatal intensive care unit and a 50 percent initiation rate among babies in the nursery.

“We would love to see those numbers go up,” Strange said. “Having the GIFT certification means that we have everything in place to make that happen. It’s just one more way that we can help make healthy moms and healthy babies.”