P0334 - Lactation in the Workplace: A Pediatric Employee Survey

Background:
Numerous benefits of breastfeeding exist, including lower incidence of diabetes, asthma, and eczema for infants and decreased risk of postpartum bleeding and depression for mothers. Employers of breastfeeding mothers have improved employee productivity, morale, company image, and employee retention. The AAP recommends exclusive breastfeeding until six months of age; however, in the US, only 25% of mothers report meeting that goal. Studies investigating the relationship between breastfeeding and employment found that working mothers are more likely to stop breastfeeding in the first month of return to work compared to their non-working counterparts. Barriers to pumping at work include an unsupportive environment, and lack of privacy, time or access to a lactation room. The latter two are positively correlated with continuation of breastfeeding in working mothers.

Methodology:
A survey was sent to 265 women in the pediatric department at Loyola University Medical Center in Illinois. Questions were aimed at identifying current pumping practices, locations, and attitudes within the workplace.

Discussion:
A total of 127 participants (48%) responded. Of the participants, 47% reported no lactation room in their department and 52% didn't know the location of it or that one existed. The majority of participants used a room other than the existing room to pump, as shown in table two. Women (49%) reported they wouldn’t use the existing room, citing its lack of cleanliness, inconvenient location, and limited space as major reasons. Despite these shortcomings, 80% of women felt their workplace was supportive and only 30% were dissatisfied with available resources.

Our proposal is to renovate and update the existing lactation room in our facility to provide a cleaner and more inviting space and encourage long term continuation of breastfeeding. To increase awareness of the existing room, we created a website on the employee intranet portal that includes information about the room and an official employee breastfeeding policy. Our proposal also includes plans to convert several more conveniently located rooms into employee-only lactation rooms.

Conclusion:
Breastfeeding is beneficial for infants, mothers, employers, and society. One role of pediatricians is to promote and support breastfeeding in clinics, communities, and society. Studies indicate that personal success with breastfeeding is positively associated with breastfeeding advocacy amongst physicians. As the specialty with the highest percentage of women physicians, pediatrics should be at the forefront of lactation support in the workplace. This includes providing a clean, quiet, relaxing, and private environment for women to pump. Surveying healthcare workers is crucial in gaining knowledge about their attitudes towards employer resources and support of lactation. An intervention that improves the current conditions will not only lead to improved employee morale, but also enhanced breastfeeding promotion to benefit our patients.