Breastfeeding (BEST) and K-10

Funded by: PA Department of Health
​Breastfeeding Education, Support, and Training (BEST) and the Keystone 10 program

SCROLL DOWN FOR COVID-19 Breastfeeding Information and Resources

Keystone 10 is a quality improvement breastfeeding initiative aimed at improving the protection, promotion, and support of breastfeeding for all Pennsylvania infants, mothers, and families. Keystone 10 assists Pennsylvania’s birthing facilities in adopting and implementing evidence-based maternity care practices with the goal of improving individual facility and state level breastfeeding care, increasing breastfeeding initiation, exclusivity, and duration rates through the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.

Over the last five years, this initiative has actively engaged 84 of the 90 Pennsylvania birthing facilities in local, regional, and state level efforts showing documented improvement in facility practices, staff education, and patient outcomes in initiation, duration, and exclusivity rates of breastfeeding across the Commonwealth.
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In addition to working with the hospitals to advance the 10 steps to successful breastfeeding, Keystone 10 offers a 15 Hour Interdisciplinary Breastfeeding Management Course for the hospitals of Pennsylvania.

​The EPIC (Educating Practices/Physicians in their Communities) - BEST (Breastfeeding Education, Support, and Training) program is a statewide practice education program using office-based change as the key to promote initiation and increasing the duration of exclusive breastfeeding. BEST is funded by the PA Department of Health and contractually administered by the PA Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics. EPIC-BEST presentations can be scheduled on site at practices, at grand rounds, monthly meetings and staff meetings.
This CME/CEU program helps practices:
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• Recognize misconceptions by health professionals that create barriers to breastfeeding
• Develop office, hospital, and workplace policies to support breastfeeding
• Provide anticipatory guidance to support mothers to successfully breastfeed
• Assist women with breastfeeding problems, and help them utilize community resources
• The EPIC- BEST team is comprised of pediatricians, obstetricians, Family Medicine physicians and International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC). A physician and an IBCLC will come to your practice.

• Interested in FREE breastfeeding training with CME/CEU’s?
  • Visit https://cme.hs.pitt.edu/ISER/app/home/displayMainPage?site=paaap to access the 1-hour online BEST module (1 CME/CEU) and the 15-hour Keystone 10 modules (15 CME/CEU’s).
  • Questions about the online trainings? Email Shannon Fyalkowski, Program Coordinator at sfyalkowski@paaap.org
• Interested in scheduling a LIVE Keystone 10 or BEST training?
  • Email Dottie Schell, Program Director at dschell@paaap.org

Breastfeeding Resources for Providers

The Pennsylvania Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics has developed this helpful postcard that includes breastfeeding information and resources for your patients. 

Download Postcard

COVID-19 Breastfeeding Resources

Resources for Families

• Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine: "ABM Statement on Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19)"
• Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute: "COVID-19 Resources"
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network: "Parent/Caregiver Guide to Helping Families Cope with the Coronavirus Disease 2019"
• UNICEF: "Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): What parents should know"
• CDC Infant Feeding in Disasters: https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/features/disasters-infant-feeding/index.html

Resources for Health Care Providers

• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists/Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine: "Outpatient Assessment and Management for Pregnant Women With Suspected or Confirmed Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)"
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "Interim Considerations for Infection Prevention and Control of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Inpatient Obstetric Healthcare Settings"
• World Health Organization: "Clinical management of severe acute respiratory infection when novel coronavirus (nCoV) infection is suspected"
• US Breastfeeding Committee: Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies, including COVID-19*
• American Academy of Pediatrics: COVID-19 Updates for Pediatricians

Resources for Public Health Workforce and Advocates

• ​Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "Pregnancy & Breastfeeding: Information about Coronavirus Disease 2019"
• Congress: "Senators Warren and Murray Urge NIH and FDA to Incorporate the Needs of Pregnant People and Other Underrepresented Populations as Companies Develop Vaccines and Therapeutics for COVID-19"
• National Perinatal Association: "COVID-19"
• U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service: "FNS Program Guidance on Human Pandemic Response"

Resources for Pennsylvania

• Pennsylvania Breastfeeding Referral Guide: https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/Documents/Programs/Infant%20and%20Children%20Health/Breastfeeding%20R eferral%20Guide.pdf
• PA WIC Breastfeeding Warm Line: 855-427-5666
• PA Department of Health Healthy Baby Line: 800-986-BABY or 800-986-2229
• National Women’s Health Information Center: 800-994-9662 (peer counselors, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m.), www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding
• National LLL Breastfeeding Hotline:1-800-525-3243
• Infant Risk Center Helpline:1-806-352-2519, www.infantrisk.org