Despite the known benefits of breastfeeding, Illinois breast/chestfeeding rates fall short of recommendations, and unacceptable disparities by race/ethnicity, geography, and income exist across our state, according to a new article.

We know human milk is the optimal food for infants and children up to two years of age and beyond. Breast/chestfeeding provides benefits for babies including a reduced risk of asthma and Type 1 diabetes, and decreased postpartum blood loss for birthing parents.

The publication describes a successful adaptation of the Collective Impact Model to improve continuity of care and community support for breast/chestfeeding in central Illinois as a part of the Illinois State Physical Activity and Nutrition (ISPAN) program.

Titled “Creating a Culture of Breastfeeding Support and Continuity of Care in Central Illinois,” the article by the Illinois Public Health Institute was co-authored with partners at OSF Healthcare Children’s Hospital, UnityPoint Health–Methodist, and UIC Institute for Health Research and Policy. It was published in Health Promotion Practice as a part of the first edition of the Reducing Chronic Disease through Physical Activity and Nutrition: Public Health Practice in the Field special supplement.

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