HomeEconomic
Print
PDF

Economic Benefits

 

For every 1,000 babies not breastfed, there is an excess of 2,033 physician visits, 212 days in the hospital, and 609 prescriptions[1]

Lower Absenteeism Rates

  • Screen_shot_2011-05-09_at_4.31.17_PMCase Example:·One-day absences to care for sick children occur more than twice as often for mothers of formula feeding infants.[2]

Lower Health Care Costs

  • Case Example:·CIGNA reported in a 2-year study of 343 employees an annual savings of $240,000 in health care expenses, 62 percent fewer prescriptions, and $60,000 in reduced absenteeism rates[3]

Lower Turnover Rates

  • Case Examples: Mutual of Omaha’s lactation support program resulted in a retention rate of 83 percent of female employees compared to the national average of 59 percent6A study of multiple companies with lactation support programs found an average retention rate of 94.2 percent.[4]

Lower Health Care Costs

  • Case Example:·Mutual of Omaha had a yearly savings of $115,881 in health care claims among families enrolled in the program. Per person costs were $1,246 MORE for employees who did not participate in the program.[5]

Other Benefits[6]

  • Earlier return from maternity leave
  • Higher employee productivity and morale
  • Higher employer loyalty
  • Recognition as a “family friendly “business

For more reasons to support breastfeeding employees, check out our Resources page.

The Business Case for Breastfeeding: For Business Managers

This document outlines the numerous ways that supporting lactation actually saves the company money.

[1] Ball, T., & Wright, A. (1999). Health care costs of formula-feeding in the first year of life.Pediatrics, 103(4):871-876

[2] Cohen, R, Mrtek, MB, & Mrtek, RG. (1995). Comparison of maternal absenteeism and infant illness rates among breastfeeding and formula-feeding women in two corporations. American J of Health Promotion, 10(2):148-153.

[3] Dickson, V., Hawkes, C., Slusser, W., Lange, L., Cohen, R. Slusser, W. (2000). The positive impactof a corporate lactation program on breastfeeding initiation and duration rates: help for the workingmother. Unpublished manuscript. Presented at the Annual Seminar for Physicians on Breastfeeding, Co-Sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and La Leche League International. Chicago, IL: July 21, 2000.

[4] Ortiz, J, McGilligan K, & Kelly P. (2004). Duration of breast milk expression among working mothersenrolled in an employer-sponsored lactation program. Pediatric Nursing, 30(2):111-119.6.

[5] Mutual of Omaha. (2001). Prenatal and lactation education reduces newborn health care costs.Omaha, NE: Mutual of Omaha.

[6] Galtry, J. (1997). Lactation and the labor market: breastfeeding, labor market changes, and publicpolicy in the United States. Health Care Women Int., 18:467-480