Five Texas Health hospitals recently achieved redesignation as Texas Ten Step facilities by the Department of State Health Services. The program was designed to improve maternity care practices in birthing facilities.
Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Allen, Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Denton and Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano all received the designation.
The Texas program is based on the World Health Organization/United Nations Children’s Fund’s Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, which bundles practices proven to increase breastfeeding exclusivity and duration and reduce racial and ethnic disparities.
The 10 steps are:
- Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health-care staff.
- Train all health-care staff in the skills necessary to implement this policy.
- Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
- Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within an hour of birth. Place babies in skin-to-skin contact with their mothers immediately following birth for at least an hour. Encourage mothers to recognize when their babies are ready to breastfeed and offer help if needed.
- Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation, even if they should be separated from their infants.
- Give infants no food or drink other than breast milk unless medically indicated.
- Allow mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day.
- Encourage breastfeeding on demand. Teach mothers cue-based feeding regardless of feeding method.
- Give no artificial nipples or pacifiers to breastfeeding infants.
- Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on discharge.
In all, Texas Health has 11 Texas Ten Step hospitals. The others are Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital HEB, Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Cleburne, Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Alliance, Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth, Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Southwest Fort Worth, Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Stephenville.
By Robin P. Loveman • Posted April 30, 2019
