Paris, Texas (September 24, 2024) – Paris Regional Health is honored to announce redesignation as a Texas Ten Step Hospital Partner as part of their long-standing commitment to improve maternity care and breastfeeding support for new moms and their babies in Paris, Texas. On September 6, 2024 our facility re-designated as a Texas Ten Step hospital.
As part of the Texas Ten Step (TTS) program, Paris Regional Health aligns with the World Health Organization and UNICEF’s Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, an initiative that supports moms and their babies with breastfeeding initiation, breastfeeding exclusivity for a minimum of six months, and the continuation of breastfeeding for a year and beyond. As a designated partner for eight years, Paris Regional Health has improved overall patient breastfeeding rates by implementing evidence-based health care practices, such as: facilitating early skin-to-skin, babies rooming-in with their mother and training staff on breastfeeding management. All practices are designed to set new moms and their babies up for successful breastfeeding, improved infant health and increased overall patient satisfaction. Studies show that when mothers experience Ten Step practices in the birthing facility, they are more likely to reach their goals of exclusive breastfeeding.
In Texas, 86 percent of new moms choose to breastfeed in the hospital, but only 24 percent continue to exclusively breastfeed until their baby is six months of age. The TTS program works with birthing facilities to develop environments where policies and practices support mothers’ informed infant feeding decisions. Improving maternity practices is also particularly important for families who are most vulnerable to poor health outcomes.
While health disparities have an impact on racial and ethnic groups and those living in low-income and rural communities, breastfeeding can serve as an equalizer to ensure every baby gets a healthy start. Research has indicated that when the Ten Steps are followed, racial disparities in breastfeeding initiation are reduced.
Breastfeeding provides health benefits for baby, such as reduced risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), ear infections, stomach-related infections, asthma and childhood obesity. In addition to health impacts, breastfeeding a baby for one year could save a family between $900 and $2,000 in annual health care and formula expenses.
“Expectant mothers look to our healthcare system to help them grow their families and care for their new babies,” says Mandie Watson, Director of Women’s and Children’s Services. “It is up to our industry to provide maternity care that supports, protects and promotes breastfeeding to our newest Texans — and puts them at the forefront of our care.”
For more information on the Texas Ten Step program, visit texastenstep.org.
About Paris Regional Health
Paris Regional Health, located in Paris, Texas, is a 154-bed, general acute-care hospital that has been serving Northeast Texas and Southeast Oklahoma for 112 years. With cutting-edge equipment, robust service lines and supporting a staff of 800+, PRH stands as the most complex hospital in at least a 70-mile radius of Paris. PRH is an Advanced Level III Trauma Facility, Accredited Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI, Advanced Primary Stroke Care certified, and our orthopedic outcomes are in the top 5% in the nation. We offer 24/7 on-call services across 9 specialties in addition to our Emergency Room. Paris Regional is committed to its mission of making communities healthier® by providing high-quality, accessible health care close to home.
