[afro-nets] US General Surgeons Office Call to Action on breastfeeding

The US Call to Action is now posted at www.surgeongeneral.gov
http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/breastfeeding/factsheet.html

The fact sheet states that if 90% of U.S. families followed guidelines to breastfeed exclusively for six months, the U.S. would annually save $13 billion from reduced medical and other costs - and then calls on Policy makers to Support compliance with the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes.

The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding*FACT SHEET*

*The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding outlines steps that can be taken to remove some of the obstacles faced by women who want to breastfeed their babies.*
*How many American women breastfeed their babies?*
   - Three out of four mothers (75%) in the U.S. start out breastfeeding, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2010 Breastfeeding Report Card.
   - At the end of six months, breastfeeding rates fall to 43%, and only 13% of babies are exclusively breastfed.
   - Among African-American babies, the rates are significantly lower, 58% start out breastfeeding, and 28% breastfeed at six months, with 8% exclusively breastfed at six months.
   - The Healthy People 2020 objectives for breastfeeding are: 82% ever breastfed, 61% at 6 months, and 34% at 1 year.

*What are the health benefits of breastfeeding?*

   - Breastfeeding protects babies from infections and illnesses that include diarrhea, ear infections and pneumonia.
   - Breastfed babies are less likely to develop asthma.
   - Children who are breastfed for six months are less likely to become obese.
   - Breastfeeding also reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
   - Mothers who breastfeed have a decreased risk of breast and ovarian cancers.

*What are the economic benefits of breastfeeding?*

   - Families who follow optimal breastfeeding practices can save between $1,200–$1,500 in expenditures on infant formula in the first year alone.
   - A study published last year in the journal *Pediatrics* estimated that if 90% of U.S. families followed guidelines to breastfeed exclusively for six months, the U.S. would annually save $13 billion from reduced medical and other costs.
   - For both employers and employees, better infant health means fewer health insurance claims, less employee time off to care for sick children, and higher productivity.
   - Mutual of Omaha found that health care costs for newborns are three times lower for babies whose mothers participate in the company’s employee maternity and lactation program.

*What obstacles do mothers encounter when they attempt to breastfeed?*

   - Lack of experience or understanding among family members of how best to support mothers and babies.
   - Not enough opportunities to communicate with other breastfeeding mothers.
   - Lack of up-to-date instruction and information from health care professionals.
   - Hospital practices that make it hard to get started with successful breastfeeding.
   - Lack of accommodation to breastfeed or express milk at the workplace.

*What can the health care community do?*

   - More hospitals can incorporate the recommendations of UNICEF/WHO’s Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative.
   - Provide breastfeeding education for health clinicians who care for women and children.
   - Ensure access to International Board Certified Lactation Consultants.

*What can employers do?*

   - Start and maintain high-quality lactation support programs for employees.
   - Provide clean places for mothers to breastfeed.
   - Work toward establishing paid maternity leave for employed mothers.

*What can community leaders do?*

   - Strengthen programs that provide mother-to-mother support and peer counseling.
   - Use community organizations to promote and support breastfeeding.

*What can families and friends of mothers do?*

   - Give mothers the support and encouragement they need to breastfeed.
   - Take advantage of programs to educate fathers and grandmothers about breastfeeding.

*What can policymakers do?*

   - Support small nonprofit organizations that promote breastfeeding in African-American communities.
   - Support compliance with the *International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes*.
   - Increase funding of high-quality research on breastfeeding.
   - Support better tracking of breastfeeding rates as well as factors that affect breastfeeding.

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Patti Rundall
mailto:prundall@babymilkaction.org