Breast milk is the optimal source of nutrition for babies, especially those under 1,500 grams at birth. Benefits include improved gastrointestinal maturity, better feeding tolerance and reduced risk of life-threatening infections such as sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis. Infants fed human milk have lower mortality, better visual development, fewer chronic diseases later in life (including obesity, diabetes, asthma and cancer) and higher IQ scores. Breast feeding promotes mother-infant bonding, improves mother's health, and reduces length of stay and health care costs. 

However, only 45.7% of very low birth weight infants cared for in Florida NICUs in 2013 received any breast milk through discharge. FPQC proposes an evidence-based statewide NICU quality improvement initiative to determine and remove barriers to human milk use for these at-risk infants.

Project Aim:

Increase the number of very low birth weight infants in Florida's NICUs who receive at least 50% of their feedings as mothers own milk at discharge.

Project Foci:

• Intent
• Establishing Supply
• Maintaining Supply
• Transitioning to the Breast

Questions? FPQC@health.usf.edu

NEWS:

• MOM Project's Sustainability Phase has come to an end, but you can continue to track your data! Visit the Tool Box to download Data tools: Excel spreadsheet for Infants >1500g and Excel Spreadsheet for Infants <1500g

• Information on Submitting MOC Credit for Physicians participating in MOM

• News Story on the MOM Initiative Kick-Off and Breastfeeding Resource Nurse Trainings with Diane Spatz

• MOM Mid-Project Meeting Teams meet in Orlando

• FPQC offers on-site consultations/Grand Rounds educational presentations to MOM Initiative hospitals - contact us to request one!