In 2010, International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners® (IBLCE) and International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) developed this IBCLC Care Award to recognize and promote facilities that hire/employ International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) as part of their commitment to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.

The number of applications received for their first year far exceeded everyone’s expectations and it matched with an amazing caliber of professionalism and innovative breastfeeding & lactation projects being conducted in facilities globally.  These 192 successful facilities are now displayed on the IBCLC Care Award website and they have all received a recognition certificate which they can display proudly for 2 years within their facility.

We are about to embark on our second year of applications for the ‘IBCLC Care Award’. This exciting new IBCLC Care Award was celebrated in 192 facilities in Hospitals, Birthing Facilities, and Birthing Services in its inaugural year 2010.
The application process for this year is NOW OPEN and will be closing in just over 6 weeks, on the 30th of November at 5pm.

Don’t delay, have the IBCLCs and your facility globally recognized with receiving this award.

This prestigious IBCLC Care Award is at the moment FREE to enter and the applications forms are online.

The application process is as Easy as 1. 2. 3…
1. Check out the IBCLC Care Award on the website and FAQ’s.
2. To get started… It’s recommended to download and print off the IBCLC Care Award Checklist, and the ‘Sample Application’ and complete.
This checklist is so helpful to keep you on track and gives you exactly what to include in your application. When you’re ready to go …work through the ‘sample application’, navigate through each field making sure you have all the important information included. Remembering you must include (upload) all the ‘evidence /documentation’ at the same time  your final IBCLC Care Award application is submitted.
3. You’re set to go…Complete your ONLINE application, uploading all your documentation/evidence as instructed. Please note that you will not be able to save the application as you go.

For more information on the criteria, documentation and how to apply, visit the IBCLC Care Award website.

Closing date is coming fast………close of business November 30, 2011

Notification of successful applicants – January 2012

Now available FREE….  “Role and Impact of the IBCLC” supports the employment of IBCLCs to administrators and policy makers throughout the world. The document is available as a free download from the ILCA website. Printed copies are available for purchase from the ILCA Store.

For more information, please contact the ILCA Office at info@ilca.org or +1-919-861-5577.

The evidence shows ‘How IBCLCs Make a Difference’
Research studies have shown that an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) makes a difference in breastfeeding outcomes for new families.

Why Hire an IBCLC?
Customer satisfaction and safety depend upon recruiting and retaining qualified, skilled health care practitioners. The IBCLC certification is your assurance that lactation professionals on your team have the specialized knowledge and skills required to provide excellence in lactation care for new families. Certification as an IBCLC protects the public by helping consumers identify qualified lactation consultants, increases customer confidence, and helps you sustain a maternal-child health team that delivers evidence-based care for new families. When making employment decisions, health care systems can feel confident in using IBCLC certification as a measure of excellence.

Breastfeeding Rates
A baby is 2.8 times more likely to be breastfeeding upon hospital discharge if the facility employs an IBCLC. Among women receiving Medicaid, delivering at a hospital that employed IBCLCs was associated with a 4.13 times increase in the odds of breastfeeding at hospital discharge.
Castrucci, B., et al. 2006. A comparison of breastfeeding rates in an urban birth cohort among women delivering infants at hospitals that employ and do not employ lactation consultants. Journal of Public Health Management Practice. 12(6), 578–585.
Women who receive prenatal education, postpartum hospital and home visits, and telephone calls from a lactation consultant, are more likely to breastfeed through week 20 and at a higher breastfeeding intensity than women who do not receive assistance from a lactation consultant.
Bonuck, K., et al. 2005. Randomized controlled trial of a prenatal and postnatal lactation consultant intervention on duration and intensity of breastfeeding up to 12 months. Pediatrics. 116:6, 1413-26.
Guise, JM, et al. 2003. The effectiveness of primary care-based interventions to promote breastfeeding: systematic evidence review and meta-analysis for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Annals of Family Medicine. 1:2, 70-8.

Health Outcomes for Breastfeeding Mothers and Babies
Women are more likely to stop breastfeeding in the first month when they experience such problems as sore nipples, inadequate milk production, and infant difficulties with breastfeeding. A lactation consultant can help women overcome these difficulties and thereby increase duration of breastfeeding.
Ahluwalia, IB, et al. 2005. Why do women stop breastfeeding? Findings from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring System. Pediatrics. 116:6, 1408-1412.

Healthcare Costs
Increased access to lactation consultants resulted in greater continuation of breastfeeding and a $149-per-delivery reduction in cost for planned hospital care, planned follow-up visits, and unplanned care costs.
Lieu TA, et al. 1998. Clinical outcomes and maternal perceptions of an updated model of perinatal care. Pediatrics.
102:1437-1444.

Corporate Worksite Support
IBCLCs are an integral part of many corporate lactation programs. Mutual of Omaha, Aetna, and CIGNA Corporation are among the many companies that now include consultations with lactation consultants as an integral part of their employee benefits program for breastfeeding employees. These lactation programs have been shown to dramatically increase breastfeeding duration rates, with resulting savings in health care costs, fewer prescriptions, and reduced absenteeism and turnover rates for employees.
Dickson V., Hawkes C., Slusser W., Lange L. & Cohen R. 2000. The positive impact of a corporate lactation program on breastfeeding initiation and duration rates: help for the working mother. Unpublished manuscript. Presented at the Annual Seminar for Physicians, co-sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and La Leche League International, on July 21, 2000.
Mutual of Omaha. 2001. Prenatal and lactation education reduces newborn health care costs. Omaha, NE: Mutual of Omaha.

What is IBLCE®?
IBLCE®, or the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners®, is the independent international certification body conferring the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant® (IBCLC®) credential.

What is ILCA?
ILCA, or the International Lactation Consultant Association, is the independent professional association for health care professionals who care for breastfeeding families.

Paula Oliveira RN, IBCLC, IBLCE Board Member
Decalie Brown RN, RM, CFHN, IBCLC, ILCA Director Marketing.