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As the Government Increases Its Support of Breastfeeding, the Boppy Company Unveils Results from a Recent Study about How to Increase Nursing Success

New mom, Yuni Capps, and daughter, Vienna, receive a Boppy pillow from The Boppy Company and breastfeeding advice from St. Joseph Hospital's lactation consultant, Paulina Holden in Denver. (Photo: Business Wire)

Government-supported breastfeeding programs include: the Healthy People 2020 (HP2020) agenda which has raised existing targets for breastfeeding initiation, duration and exclusivity; the World Health Organization/UNICEF Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative that encourages and recognizes hospitals that promote breastfeeding and follow the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding; the newly-created National Breastfeeding Center (NBfC); and the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) that is currently working with the IRS to form ruling on which breastfeeding supplies are to be considered tax-deductible medical expenses.

The Boppy Company has just unveiled results from a new study that show using a crescent-shaped nursing pillow, like the Boppy pillow, in hospitals increases nursing success. The recently-conducted study showed 71% of moms who used a crescent shaped nursing pillow in the hospital left successfully nursing while 51% of moms who didn't use a crescent shaped nursing pillow in the hospital left successfully nursing. Therefore, there is a significant difference in nursing success when using crescent shaped nursing pillow*.

"Breastfeeding has significant health benefits to both mom and baby," said Elly Yost, director of nursing practice at Nurse-Family Partnership. "The nurses at Nurse-Family Partnership work with first-time moms and hear their challenges that come with breastfeeding. If new moms used one more tool - such as a nursing pillow - in the hospital soon after giving birth, they increase their chances of leaving the hospital as successfully nursing moms. Breastfeeding is the healthy choice for mom and baby, and Nurse-Family Partnership supports increasing the number of moms who breastfeed, as well as increasing the length of time they do so."

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all women capable of breastfeeding do so exclusively for the first six months of baby's life. And, according to recent reports from the CDC, the percentage of women who breastfeed past six months is well below public-health goals and failed to meet Healthy People 2010 goals. According to a new report by the CDC, hospitals are doing an inadequate job at supporting breastfeeding, and therefore compromising the health of the baby, and the connection between mother and baby.

"We know that breastfeeding doesn't always come naturally and that ineffective early feeding practices in the critical days just after giving birth can cause new moms to give up on breastfeeding, therefore The Boppy Company is constantly working with hospital partners to research mom's needs and work to improve her nursing success," said Nancy Bartley, CEO of The Boppy Company. "The Boppy Pillow provides support for mom and baby from the start by helping baby latch on and supporting mom comfortably, which leads to longer feeding sessions and a greater mother-baby bond. Since a majority of new moms intend to breastfeed, we are proud to offer a product that is proven to help new moms successfully nurse."

*Boppy Birth Mom Research Study, March 2011. N=500 birth moms - with babies 12 months or under in age. Statistical difference at 99% confidence level.

About The Boppy Company

The Boppy Company makes the award-winning Boppy Feeding and Infant Support Pillow which has been voted the number one baby product by American Baby magazine a record nine times. Created by mom inventor Susan Brown, the Boppy Pillow has become a "must have" in today's nurseries. The Boppy Company is based in Golden, Colorado, and is dedicated to providing comfortable support for moms and babies. For more information, visit www.boppy.com. The Boppy Company is now a part of The Artsana Group, makers of Chicco branded infant products. Learn more at www.artsana.com and www.chiccousa.com.

About Nurse-Family Partnership

The Nurse-Family Partnership National Service Office (www.nursefamilypartnership.org) is committed to producing enduring improvements in the health and well being of low-income, first-time parents and their children by helping communities implement and sustain an evidence-based public health program of home visiting by registered nurses. Nurse-Family Partnership is the most rigorously tested maternal and early childhood health program of its kind. Randomized, controlled trials conducted over 30 years demonstrate multi-generational outcomes that benefit society economically and reduce long-term social service expenditures. Nurse-Family Partnership is headquartered in Denver, Colorado.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50059816&lang=en

The Boppy Company
Krista Torvik, 720-746-3841
krista@boppy.com
or
Kate Devlin, 720-746-3842
kdevlin@boppy.com