UK Breastfeeding Expert Featured in KET Documentary Tonight

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 18, 2013) — Dr. Rebecca Collins, director of the newborn nursery at University of Kentucky Chandler Hospital, is one of the featured speakers in KET's new documentary "Well Fed: Nourishing Our Children for a Lifetime." The program airs tonight at 9 p.m. on KET.

The documentary explores childhood nutrition, its impact on health outcomes and obesity rates, and efforts across the state to make the healthy choice the easy choice. In the newborn segment, the program examines breast feeding in Kentucky.

While breast milk is universally hailed as a superior food to infant formula, breastfeeding rates in the state are among the nation’s lowest. According to Collins, this is largely due to a culture that doesn't support breastfeeding. The program also features the hospital's recently implemented "Kangaroo Care" initiative to encourage breastfeeding.

Kangaroo Care is a special training program based on the widely held belief that "skin-to-skin" contact between mothers and infants promotes breastfeeding and bonding. The basic concept involves immediately placing a newborn chest down on the mother or father’s bare chest, which generates warmth and provides access to breastfeeding for the mother.

MEDIA CONTACT: Allison Perry, (859) 323-2399 or allison.perry@uky.edu