In an effort to gather data in regards to the availability of lactation facilities in the radiology workforce, the American College of Radiology (ACR) Commission on Human Resources conducted an electronic survey.

Corresponding author Elizabeth Kagan Arleo, MD, and her colleagues received 394 responses to the question, “Does your radiology or radiation oncology practice have a dedicated lactation facility?”

After seeing these numbers, the authors stressed the importance of these facilities and the benefits they have on both mother and child.

“For the woman, these include lowered rates of breast and ovarian cancers, type II diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and postpartum depression,” wrote Arleo et al. “For her baby, these include reduced rates of sudden infant death syndrome, otitis media, respiratory and gastrointestinal infections, allergic disease including asthma, type 1 diabetes and obesity. For the woman and her baby together, another benefit of lactation is facilitating maternal–infant bonding."

According to the 2010 U.S. Department of Labor amendment, employers with 50 or more employees must have a specific place for women to express milk for her nursing child for one year after the child's birth. The time she is nursing will be unpaid but should be a reasonable amount of break time. 

Arleo et al. also notes that the provision of dedicated lactation facilities in radiology practices would not only be a step in the right direction but beneficial to all parties.

"This impacts not only women but also men given that they too would like to have healthy colleagues with minimal absenteeism," they wrote.