MUHC breastfeeding resources get pumped up
The Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation donates $350,000 to support breastfeeding programs at the MUHC
As the birth rate in Quebec continues to rise steadily for the
sixth year in a row, Mr. Claude Chagnon has some good news for
Montrealers and it could not have come at a better time. As
President and Chief Operating Officer of the Lucie and André
Chagnon Foundation, Mr. Claude Chagnon announces a $350,000
donation to support breastfeeding at the Â鶹AV Health
Centre (MUHC).
Already on the path to becoming a designated World Health
Organization (WHO) Baby-friendly hospital, this donation
will allow the MUHC’s Women’s Health Mission to further support all
breastfeeding mothers under their care. “Thanks to this financial
support, we have been able to upgrade our technology and purchase
state-of-the-art breast pumps to serve our most vulnerable patient
populations,” explains Luisa Ciofani, Clinical Nurse Specialist in
Obstetrics and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.
“We have also been able to increase the number of lactation
consultants working with our new mothers.”
At the MUHC, 87% of new mothers try breastfeeding. Among them, 50%
continue to breastfeed exclusively. As a result of the donation,
the MUHC will be able to make a greater investment in training
personnel in the hopes of further increasing rates of exclusivity.
“Breastfeeding is the natural extension of pregnancy, but it is
also a learned skill for mother and baby. As a result, many women
need support from the health care system – at a hospital or within
their own community,” explains Luisa Ciofani. With better training,
new mothers who visit the MUHC can expect consistent information
and a standard level of expertise from all of the staff they come
in contact with during their stay.
While the focus of the initiative is on the Women’s Health Mission
and pediatrics, there will be positive repercussions across the
MUHC. “This funding will greatly help us achieve a level of
expertise across all settings, including the NICU and the ER,” says
Luisa Ciofani. “For example, if a new mother is admitted to the ER,
our health care professionals will know how to support her so that
she can continue to breastfeed during her treatment.”
As a Centre of Excellence for breastfeeding, the MUHC acknowledges
the importance of continued research in the field. Sonia Semenic,
Nurse Scientist for the MUHC’s Women’s Health Mission, has received
a grant from the Fonds québécois de la recherche sur la société
et la culture (FQRSC) to study the implementation of Quebec’s
policies to protect, support and promote breastfeeding, As part of
this study, the MUHC’s Royal Victoria Hospital will participate in
an evaluation of barriers and facilitators to the implementation of
the World Health Organization’s Baby-Friendly
Initiative.
The Â鶹AV Health Centre (MUHC) is a
comprehensive academic health institution with an international
reputation for excellence in clinical programs, research and
teaching. Its partner hospitals are the Montreal Children's
Hospital, the Montreal General Hospital, the Royal Victoria
Hospital, the Montreal Neurological Hospital, the Montreal Chest
Institute and the Lachine Hospital. The goal of the MUHC is to
provide patient care based on the most advanced knowledge in the
health care field and to contribute to the development of new
knowledge.
The Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation wishes to
contribute to the development and improvement of health by the
prevention of poverty and disease, by acting primarily with
children and their parents. In this perspective, the Foundation
believes that early intervention and support for children enables
them to develop in an optimal fashion, both physically and on the
psychological, cognitive and social well-being.
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For more information please contact:
Rana Alrabi
Information Officer
MUHC Public Relations and Communications
(514) 843 1560
rana.alrabi [at] muhc.mcgill.ca