The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations’ Children’s’ Fund (UNICEF) developed a global initiative to increase breastfeeding in hospitals called the Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative. It includes ten steps that must be achieved in order to become certified as “Baby-friendly”. Baby-friendly USA is the “accrediting body and national authority” for the Baby-friendly Initiative in the United States. Hospital Facilities can find information about the process at babyfriendlyusa.org. Parents can find information and locate a facility at babyfriendlyusa.org . South Carolina currently has 12 hospitals that have achieved the Baby-friendly designation. Information about how South Carolina is doing in upholding practices that support breastfeeding can be found in the annual Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) survey results located at www.cdc.gov .

It is of great importance to public health that health providers are educated about and supportive of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding friendly providers can be found at ZIPMILK.org. See the above map to locate a breastfeeding/chestfeeding friendly provider. We would also like to be made aware of providers who are not breastfeeding friendly.

Childcare facilities support of breastfeeding families is essential to their continued breastfeeding success. Childcare facilities in South Carolina can be certified as breastfeeding friendly by the South Carolina Program for Infant/Toddler Care. Learn about the attributes of a breastfeeding friendly childcare facility, and how to locate or become one here. There is excellent information for childcare facilities to help them become certified or, at least, support breastfeeding families needs in the Ten Steps to Breastfeeding Friendly Childcare Toolkit developed by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services located on the Web at www.dhs.wisconsin.gov. Information about storing and handling breastmilk can be found at www.cdc.gov It is important for parents and childcare workers to know that expressed breastmilk is not considered an infectious material or biohazard: “Expressed breast milk is a food and may be stored alongside other foods in any refrigerator that is appropriate for food storage. Employers, coworkers, cleaning staff, other family members, and childcare providers should not consider or treat breast milk as a biohazard. Storing breast milk in a shared refrigerator and washing pump parts in community break rooms are unlikely to pose health risks (sanitary or safety issues); however, it is important that the breast pump equipment be cleaned, dried, and stored in a sanitary (clean) environment to protect the equipment (and expressed breast milk) from contamination. www.cdc.gov· “According to the CDC, “breast milk is not considered a biohazard and no special precautions exist for the handling of expressed human milk.” Child care providers do not need to store breast milk in a separate refrigerator or wear gloves to feed a bottle of breast milk. Breast milk should be treated similarly to any infant food and there are no special legal requirements for handling breast milk.” ksbreastfeeding.org· “Breast milk is not included in the standard’s definition of “other potentially infectious materials”. Therefore, contact with breast milk does not constitute occupational exposure, as defined by the standard.” www.osha.gov· Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) www.fns.usda.gov· requires childcare facilities that are reimbursed for meals for the children for whom they care to follow standards. These specify that infants from birth 0-5 months of age are given 4-6 ounces of breastmilk or formula four times a day. However, it clarifies that “For some breastfed infants who regularly consume less than the minimum amount of breastmilk per feeding, a serving of less than the minimum amount of breastmilk may be offered. In these situations, additional breastmilk must be offered at a later time if the infant will consume more.” Many breastfed babies will not drink 4-6 ounces at each meal and breastfed babies may eat, on average, 20% fewer calories than formula fed babies by 4 months. Typically, smaller more frequent feedings are the norm for breastfed babies. For more information: The Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina developed 10 steps for breastfeeding friendly childcare which are available, along with other information here: www.sph.unc.edu The Public Health Law Center at Mitchel Hamline School of Law has an online publication which provides information for parents and childcare facilities www.publichealthlawcenter.org

It is important for those who are seeking education to better their lives to also reach their breastfeeding goals and optimize their health and the health of their families. Schools can support their students in breastfeeding by providing protective practices and policies, clean spaces and flexible schedules. See map above to find education settings that support our families nuturing their children with human milk.

All large and medium size airports are required to provide a Lactation Room that is not a bathroom. Airports that have currently declared lactation rooms: Charleston International, Charlotte-Douglas, International, Greenville Spartanburg Airport, Savannah/Hilton Head Airport Lactation Room and Myrtle Beach airports. Many airports use Mamava pods. The Mamava web site has a locations map at www.mamava.com See travel guidlelines for transporting breastmilk at the Transportation Safety Administration Web site.

Businesses can support breastfeeding by encouraging their employees to continue breastfeeding and offering a safe and welcoming environment in which their customers can feed ther babies . The impetus for the SC Breastfeeding in Public Law passed in 2006 was an incident in which a breastfeeding mother was harrassed for breastfeeding in a retail store in SC. Find South Carolina Breastfeeding Community Partners on map above.

A breastfeeding friendly community supports its breastfeeding families by promoting breastfeeding, supporting their breastfeeding families, and reducing marketing of breastmilk substitutes. To join the effort and help you community become breastfeeding friendly, email SCbreastfeedingcoalition@gmail.com