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65 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, September 16, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 25, 2004 Laurie Russo of Medford shares a happy moment with her 6-month-old daughter, Melina, moments after they finished nursing. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Mother’s milk Oregon moms and their babies help state lead nation in the number of infants who are solely breastfed at six months By BILL KETTLER Mail Tribune When Laurie Russo’s second child came along, she knew from the start that she would nurse. The Medford mom had breastfed her son, Dominic, for more than a year, and she wanted her new daughter, Melina, to have the same health advantages of mother’s milk. "I just wanted them to have a good base for nutrition," Russo said Tuesday as she nursed six-month-old Melina. Russo and thousands of other women who think mothers’ milk is best have made Oregon a leader in breastfeeding. A new federal study notes that 26.8 percent of all Oregon mothers exclusively nurse their infants at six months of age. Advertisement No other state has a higher percentage of infants that are solely breastfed at six months. Nationwide, just 14 percent of mothers exclusively breastfeed at six months, and in some states the figure drops to single digits. Physicians recommend exclusive breast feeding for the first six months of life. Breast milk contains dozens of immunological factors that can protect infants from bacterial and viral infections, and studies have shown that infants who are not exclusively breastfed are at increased risk for recurrent ear infections, severe diarrhea, and respiratory diseases such as pneumonia. "It’s the normal thing for people to do," says Debbie Watson, who works with nursing mothers enrolled in Jackson County’s Women Infants and Children Supplemental Nutritional Program. People who study the psychology of breastfeeding say community attitudes and cultural traditions help determine whether women will nurse their babies and how long they will nurse. Generally, the more support the community provides for nursing mothers, the more mothers will nurse, says Susan Brault, a lactation consultant for Providence Medford Medical Center. "In our local culture, it’s almost unusual if you don’t breastfeed," Brault said. "We recognize what’s sustained humanity for thousands of years," said Gaea Dichter, a lactation consultant at Rogue Valley Medical Center. Oregon has the highest number of hospitals per capita that are enrolled in a program called "Baby Friendly" that encourages mothers to nurse rather than bottle feed. In Southern Oregon, both Providence Medford Medical Center and Three Rivers Community Hospital in Grants Pass have earned the "Baby Friendly" designation. Oregon legislators have also encouraged breastfeeding. Senate Bill 744, passed in 1999, made Oregon one of the first states to pass legislation that affirms a woman’s right to breastfeed her child in public. The state also encourages employers to make accommodation for new mothers who return to work and want to continue breastfeeding. Data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study indicated 88 percent of Oregon mothers had breastfed their baby at least part of the time; 58 percent were still solely nursing at three months; 54 percent were still doing some nursing at six months; and 27.8 percent were still doing some nursing at 12 months. The CDC study did not analyze Oregon by counties, but data compiled by the WIC program suggests Southern Oregon moms may exceed the state average for breastfeeding. Watson, the WIC coordinator, said 90.2 percent of WIC-enrolled mothers in Jackson County had breastfed their babies at some time, compared to 82.3 percent of WIC moms statewide. WIC mothers generally do less breastfeeding than mothers from higher-income families. No other state had a higher percentage of nursing moms in the CDC study. Only Washington’s relatively well-educated and affluent King County had a larger (91.3) percentage of mothers who had nursed their babies at some time. Despite Oregon’s broad support for breastfeeding, some people still don’t like to see a woman nursing. Watson said women tell her they have been made to feel uncomfortable when they were breastfeeding in public even though the state law gives them the right. "We’ve come a long way," she said, "but we’ve still got a long way to go." Moms can get help on breastfeeding Breastfeeding seems like the most natural thing in the world, but sometimes babies and mothers need a little help. Lactation consultants at both Medford hospitals assist mothers when a baby can’t latch onto the nipple or a mother thinks she doesn’t have enough milk. Jackson County’s supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children (commonly known as WIC) also offers support for nursing mothers. WIC can provide electric breast pumps for moms who need to return to work but want to continue nursing. To reach a lactation consultant at Providence Medford Medical Center, call 732-5717; at Rogue Valley Medical Center, call 608-5984. To reach the WIC office, call 774-8203. Reach reporter Bill Kettler at 776-4492, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities