HJAR Jul/Aug 2022

46 JUL / AUG 2022 I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS CHILDREN’S HEALTH COLUMN CHILDREN’S HEALTH infants experience a 20% reduced risk of leukemia and a 36% reduced risk of sud- den infant death syndrome (SIDS). 1, 2 And for mothers, breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, and there’s evidence that breastfeeding can also reduce the risk of obesity, which can decrease the incidence of stroke, heart at- tack, and cardiac disease. 3, 4 Racial Inequality of Continued Breastfeeding It is important to focus on vulnerable populations including mothers who are racial minorities and mothers with obesity who are at risk and also have lower rates of exclusively breastfeeding. Racial and ethnic health disparities exist in breast- feeding initiation and duration, which have been shown to have important so- cial and long-term health implications for both mothers and infants. While Hispanic mothers do have higher rates of breast- feeding initiation, the duration and exclu- sivity of breastfeeding has declined with Breastfeeding Research to Support Mothers and Families HUMAN MILK is the first food babies are fed, and it is made specifically for each baby. Most mothers start out breastfeeding, but it can be difficult to continue once they leave the hospital without any support. The Breastfeeding and Lactation Clinic at Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) Southwest Little Rock Clinic has been open to patients for almost a year and will be expanding to other primary care clinics at Arkansas Children’s this fall. The clinic works to help mother-infant pairs reach their breastfeeding goals. We are currently conducting the study, “Promoting Pre- and Post-natal Lactation Support in the Hispanic Population in Community Pediatric Clinics.” The ACH Southwest Little Rock Clinic, open to primary care for all populations, treats many Latino and Hispanic families. The majority of the mothers seen at the clinic breastfeed, but, they also sometimes unnecessarily supplement with formula, which can lead to early cessation of breastfeeding and pediatric obesity, among other health issues. The clinic staff regularly see infants as young as six months old who are obese, a serious problem that carries into early childhood. By the timemany children reach adolescence, they are already prediabetic. Breastfeeding Benefits by the Numbers Breastfeeding is considered the opti- mal source of nutrition for all infants. It is recommended as the sole source of nutri- tion in infants up to 6 months of age and thereafter to continue breastfeeding with complementary foods until one year, or as long as mother and child mutually desire. Breastfeeding also results in significant health benefits. If breastfeeding is main- tained for more than three months, infants experience a 77% reduced risk of ear infec- tions, 42% reduction in atopic dermatitis (eczema), 40% reduced risk of asthma, and 75% reduced risk of upper and low- er respiratory infections. If breastfeeding is maintained for more than six months,