Lactation Access Transforming Communities in Hawaiʻi

Improved access to lactation consultation reduces inequities in health care access and improves outcomes for children and families

Across Hawai`i, many individuals and organizations are engaged in the important work of supporting healthy pregnancies, births, and early childhood health. Over the past few years, representatives of many of these groups have come together to find ways to provide more equitable access to key supports for new mothers and families, including lactation consultation. 

Today, the need for this support is urgent. 

Science confirms what we have long known to be true: human milk is the perfect food for newborns. Breastmilk helps to strengthen children’s immune systems, and breastfeeding strengthens attachment between parents and their newborns. At the same time, breast/chest feeding doesn’t always come naturally to many new parents who may not have the network of support and the family and community infrastructure that might help them not only to initiate breastfeeding, but to continue to feed their babies human milk for the full 24 months recommended by the AAP. 

The good news is that lactation consultants can offer new parents the support they need to successfully feed breastmilk to their newborns, and can help to provide access to breast pumps and information about the rights of parents to pump and feed in the workplace that new parents need.

While geography should not determine a family’s access to needed supports, many new parents are navigating the critical period of early childhood development with little or no access to lactation consultation or other perinatal supports. Many families, and especially Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders, face additional challenges in accessing support that is familiar and culturally-relevant.

In response, the Hawai`i LATCH (Lactation Access Transforming Communities) team is working to expand the availability and affordability of vital lactation support services. 

The LATCH team has a number of initiatives underway. These include:

• Hosting listening sessions across the state to understand the difficulties faced by many families in accessing lactation support

• Piloting a “Fast Pass” to streamline the process of connecting mothers to perinatal care including lactation support

• Working with MedQUEST and other insurance providers to to make sure that lactation consultation is available to all new families, and, critically, to make sure that the cost is covered by insurance.

“The LATCH partnership is possible because of the commitment of the perinatal community to making sure that every new parent and newborn baby in Hawai`i has the greatest chance to thrive. LATCH brings together parents, primary care providers, health care system representatives, lactation consultants, and public and private insurers to work together to make sure that all new parents have access to the lactation consultation support they need, regardless of the zip code in which they live or their ability to pay.” 

Contact
Krista Olson,
MC-MCH, CH, IBCLC,
LATCH Project Coordinator