Chester, where breastfeeding is less common, receives state grant to encourage nursing

A state grant will fund counselors to support breastfeeding parents in the city of Chester, where state data shows more than a third of new mothers do not nurse.

The $20,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Health will fund a scholarship for two members of the Delaware County Breastfeeding Coalition to become certified lactation counselors, who advise parents on non-medical issues related to breastfeeding. The scholarship recipients, who will be announced this month, will also able to conduct home visits.

Another $20,000 grant is paying for similar scholarships in Williamsport.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization recommend breastfeeding for the first six months of life because breastmilk helps build infants’ immunity, encourages a healthy weight and reduces risk of gastrointestinal distress.

But breastfeeding may not be possible for all families, and other new parents may decide it isn’t right for them.

Still other new parents may want to breastfeed, but feel they are unable to because they can’t be home with their babies to feed on demand, and may not have access to a sanitary place to pump breast milk at work. Others may lack resources to help troubleshoot problems, such as a baby who won’t latch properly or pain when breastfeeding.

The state breastfeeding initiative is designed to help parents reach whatever breastfeeding goals they may have, organizers said. It is a first step in a state pilot program to encourage breastfeeding in the two cities, by helping families overcome some of these barriers, according to the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The work will include prompting businesses in the city to commit to providing welcoming spaces where women can nurse.

“We want to normalize breastfeeding,” said Kaiden Levy, who is coordinating the Chester initiative for the AAP. “It’s important to address the stigmatization that a lot of people face when breastfeeding in public.”

The reasons why breastfeeding rates are low in Chester are complex. It is a lower-income community, where the household median income is almost half the statewide median. Research shows lower rates of breastfeeding in low-income communities, where new parents are more likely to hold jobs that do not provide breaks and privacy for pumping, and where breastfeeding in public may be discouraged.

Statewide, about 82% of new parents breastfeed at least once while still in the hospital after giving birth. In Chester, 62% of new parents breastfeed while in the hospital, said Dottie Schell, director of breastfeeding programs for the AAP.

“Any amount of breastfeeding, even for a day,” Schell said, “does benefit the baby because it boosts the baby’s immune system.”