In the summer of 2022, Jackson State University received a $50,000 donation from the Charles Schwab Foundation to create the Center of Excellence on Breastfeeding and Early Nutrition for Black women in Mississippi.
The vision for the center materialized after three years of research and grant writing on the importance of early nutrition as a major factor in healthy infants. The Center will be housed in the Department of Behavioral and Environmental Health (BEH) within the College of Health Sciences (CHS), a CEPH Accredited School of Public Health.
“Our goal in creating this center is to focus on several areas that will support statewide maternal and child health initiatives aimed at improving infant health. One is education and training, the other is advocacy for breastfeeding and the third is research that will make meaningful contributions to improve breastfeeding and early nutrition outcomes for infants in Mississippi and beyond. We hope to serve as a repository for research and best practices around breastfeeding and early nutrition in Mississippi,” said CHS Department Chair Mary Shaw, Ph.D.
Shaw explained that the center’s three-year grant is funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The project was the early vision of Mohammad Shahbazi, Ph.D., former interim dean of the School of Public Health.
Many couples first welcoming a child find the male is inclined to allow the woman to facilitate child-bearing techniques, including breastfeeding, due to a lack of knowledge about how to properly assist during pregnancy and post birth.
The center will prioritize spousal support groups and courses that inform Black men in particular on what the process of breastfeeding entails, diffusing misconceptions and identifying a clear plan of action to change the dynamic of child-bearing from one that is unilateral to a collaborative effort.
“One of the unique pieces that we’re hoping [will] come out of this is having men, Black men in particular, understand and have knowledge about breastfeeding in order to be informed as to what it takes to support a woman entering into that cycle of motherhood, and the other options that are available to them in those very early months of nutrition.” said Shaw.
Earlier last year the CHS launched its ‘MomNBabyEXCEL’ brand with a virtual conference on breastfeeding and early nutrition in Mississippi. The conference sought to increase awareness and knowledge about breastfeeding, early nutrition challenges that mothers and fathers encounter and opportunities to support/advocate for mothers and their families.
‘STRENGTH IN UNDERSTANDING’
Typically within early childhood family dynamics, the mother is primarily seen as being in charge of the intimate nurturing and nourishment of the child and the father being the protector and/or provider. While the technical understanding of this dynamic has valid reasoning, studies have shown, contrary to popular belief, that men, who participate in the early stages of nourishment and engage in learning about the process women endure to provide sufficient nourishment, eliminate any perceived psychological, mental, emotional and/or physical stressors that may strain the mother’s ability to nurture effectively.
JSU DrPH student Austine Onyia is currently studying within the department of epidemiology and biostatistics, and he has worked closely with Shaw to ensure the program curriculum is undergirded in public health research that identifies the benefits of male contribution and determines the gaps in understanding. With over 25 years of experience in public health having practiced in multi-ethnic settings, including Nigeria and Belize, Onyia served as a guest speaker at the MomNBabyEXCEL conference.
His segment focused on the male’s perspective on breastfeeding support and interrogating the pathways for active engagement. Onyia succinctly summarized the “why” behind male contribution toward this pivotal stage of child development and ultimately toward the strength of the family unit in one word: bond.
“One of the most important aspects of early childhood nourishment is bonding and that bond is two in one. It is bonding with the baby and bonding with the mother, creating that family bond between the three,” said Onyia. “It [bonding] happens more effectively when the man is engaged and usually at that early stage, if a man is not engaged, it shows through the baby and the mother through signs of physical and often psychological stress.”
Onyia suggests that early childhood bonding between the father and the family can serve as a preventive measure against what recent statistical evidence shows to be an increasing problem among women within early stages of motherhood, postpartum depression. Postpartum depression often is rooted in feelings of helplessness and/or lack of support in the early stages of motherhood, which can potentially act as an emotional trigger for women. However, it is with the understanding and the education of the male’s contribution toward the process that conditions can be wholly avoided.
Based on participant input during the conference, Onyia was also able to gain a deeper understanding into the social stigmas that often strain the relationship and level of comfort between the mother and father, one of those stigmas being breastfeeding in public. Often, the sexualization of women historically has placed barriers around their ability to nurture their child in public places where a private setting may not be immediately accessible. Some men who may lack understanding of this necessity can create stressors within the body and mind of the woman, causing her to feel unprotected.
“If the man is comfortable with it, the woman is more likely to be relaxed about it, and she will have the comfort to know she’s protected and safe to proceed with nourishment,” said Onyia. “She’s not going to be so much worried about any other opinion that is there as long as the father is understanding and protective.”
Shaw shared that with African American women touting the lowest rate of breastfeeding nationally, innovative research focused on Mississippians will guide transdisciplinary efforts to address clinical, psychosocial, education, economic, environmental and policy factors that impact breastfeeding and early nutrition outcomes for mothers and their infants.
A notable portion of the MomNBabyEXCEL brand will encompass increasing awareness and knowledge about breastfeeding and early nutrition among fathers and/or male partners in relationships with women who are breastfeeding or attending to the early nutrition needs of their infants.
Shaw explained that pregnancy and postpartum care experiences for women must include family support. Support encompasses being knowledgeable and equipped to support the needs of women during a very challenging time period inclusive of prenatal, delivery and postpartum care.
“We’re excited about the male initiative. There are few programs out there that educate men so that they have the knowledge and skills to support breastfeeding and early nutrition for infants and even become an advocate for it,” said Shaw.
The CHS has formed several key relationships in creating the center, including participating in the HBCU Consortium of African American Public Health Programs and the HBCUs advancing Maternal and Child Health Initiatives to achieve health equity.
The center also intends to provide unique opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students to actively participate in MCH-focused projects.