Programa LACTAR Promoting Breastfeeding in Northeastern Philadelphia Join the program!  LACTATION CONSULTANTS NEEDED!  Please contact us.

 Project objectives:

The overall objective of Programa LACTAR is to increase the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding in the Latino population served by Northeastern Hospital.  We understand that this objective will take many years of education and support work from the different parties that surround the breastfeeding dyad.  Thus, we have designed this program in a series of articulated steps, with easily measurable outcomes:

1.      Gathering baseline information on current breastfeeding practices and attitudes towards breastfeeding

2.      Providing of educational audiovisual material on breastfeeding at the practice (leaflets, posters, video clips, library)

3.      Establishing a Breastfeeding Moms and Dads Club, which meets regularly and from which feedback on how to approach the community can be obtained and peer counselors can be recruited.

4.      Establishing a Peer Counselors on Breastfeeding Group which will have multiplying effects in the community

5.      Training of the Labor and Delivery nurses at Northeastern Hospital by the Maternal, Child and Family Health of the Philadelphia Health Department.

6.      Hiring a lactation consultant at Northeastern Hospital to provide support to the newly delivered mothers, partners and infants

Dr. Gail Herrine is an Ob/Gyn at Women’s Care at Northeastern, which is a 6-physician practice associated with Northeastern Hospital.  Part of our mission at Women’s Care at Northeastern is to provide access to the highest quality of health care in both the community and academic setting and to promote the health and well-being of people in our neighboring communities through preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic services

Dr. Claudia Valeggia is an Assistant Professor in the Dept. of Anthropology of the University of Pennylvania.  Her research interests include lactation, fertility, and maternal/child health in Latin American populations.

Our target population is the Latino community of Northeastern Philadelphia.  Most Latinos in this area are of Puerto Rican origin. As of 2000, Philadelphia had the 3rd largest Puerto Rican population outside of Puerto Rico. At present, the greatest concentration of Puerto Ricans live in North Philadelphia, with enclaves in lower Northeast Philadelphia in Frankford and Juniata Park.  There are also families from México, Colombia, and several Central American countries.

We are currently conducting a survey to gather data on basic demographic information from our patients.  However, observational studies indicate that there are a considerable number of women who do not speak English or for whom English is not their first language.  In addition, we can safely assume that most families belong to an inner-city, low socioeconomic stratum, most of them being dependent on welfare.

Preliminary survey data shows very low prevalence of breastfeeding, particularly among Puerto Rican mothers.  Our experience indicates that some of these mothers, having expressed a desire to breastfeed their infants while they were pregnant, fail to do so or have very limited success. Our survey and questionnaire will provide information about some of the social factors that may influence the decision to breastfeed and the maintenance of breastfeeding after childbirth.