Public Health Policies

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  • Healthy People 2020-Maternal, Infant and Child Health-Recommends increasing the “proportion of infants who are breastfed (MCH -21)  and improving support for breastfeeding in the workplaces (MCH-22) as well as reducing formula supplementation (MCH-23) and increasing births at facilities that provide recommended breastfeeding support (MCH-24).

  • The Institute of Medicine’s Consensus Report Clinical Preventive Services for Women:Closing the Gaps recommended third party coverage of, “Comprehensive lactation sup­port and counseling and costs of renting breastfeeding equipment.”

  • The White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity Report to the President: recommended that hospitals, health care providers and insurance companies should educate new mothers about breastfeeding and provide support for breastfeeding.

  • US Department of Health & Human Services National Prevention Strategy recommends support policies and programs in order to increase the initiation and duration of breastfeeding including workplace breastfeeding support and access to lactation services.

  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention publishes the Breastfeeding Report Card to provide state-by-state data so that health professionals, legislators, employers, business owners, community advocates and family members can work together to identify states’ needs, develop solutions, and work together within their community to better protect, promote, and support breastfeeding. This report includes data from the Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care Survey which assesses lactation support services in maternal/child care facilities.

  • The US Department of Agriculture WIC food packages revisions to provide greater incentives for continued breastfeeding.

  • The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Section 2713 “Coverage of Preventive Health Services” recommendations for breastfeeding include: pre and postnatal breastfeeding education, formal breastfeeding evaluations undertaken by trained caregivers in the hospital and out-patient care settings, followed by interventions to correct problems as needed.

  • The Internal Revenue Service ruled that breast pumps and other nursing supplies could qualify for tax breaks.

Healthcare Policies

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  • The Joint Commission made changes to breast milk feeding performance measures PC-05a and PC-05 effective October 2015. To learn more about these performance measures 

  • The National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality is leading a nationwide effort to help hospitals become Baby Friendly.

  • United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF):recommendations have been adopted by Bright Futures, an initiative of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Bright Futures recommendations are supported and coordinated by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  • AAP Breastfeeding Policy Statement on Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk states that “Breastfeeding and human milk are the normative standards for infant feeding and nutrition.”

  • Breastfeeding in Emergencies Protecting promoting and supporting breastfeeding is a key intervention to protect infant and young child health, development and survival in emergencies.Wellstart Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies

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