Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire - Access to Donor Milk Act Introduced and more

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Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire - Access to Donor Milk Act Introduced and more

9/22/2023

In this issue:

USBC Updates
- USBC Joining Healthy Horizons Webinar on PWFA
- Letdown Podcast Features Interview of USBC Staff Members
- Blog Celebrating National Breastfeeding Month
- Comments Submitted on NASEM Committee Examining Infant Formula Regulation
- Weekly Wire Hiatus
- USBC Supports...
National News
- Bipartisan, Bicameral Introduction of Access to Donor Milk Act
- NCSL Report on Supporting Health in the Postpartum Period
- National Infant Mortality Awareness Month
Action Opportunities
Funding Opportunities
Upcoming Events
News & Views
Journal Publications

denotes a USBC member organization news item denotes a USBC-affiliated constellation news item

USBC Updates

USBC Joining Healthy Horizons Webinar on PWFA

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee is joining Healthy Horizons and the Center for Worklife Law for a webinar, "Navigating the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA)," on Thursday, October 19, from 3-4 p.m. ET. Join this session to discover how to create a supportive workplace for expectant employees while ensuring compliance with the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). The webinar is useful for human resources and facilities professionals committed to fostering inclusivity and fairness in the workplace.

Letdown Podcast Features Interview of USBC Staff Members

U.S. Breastfeeding Committee staff members Camille Abbe, Senior Campaign and Convening Manager, and Cheryl Lebedevitch, Senior Policy and Communications Manager, were featured in an interview on the Letdown Podcast. The episode discusses the USBC journey bringing organizations together for collaborative work, shares information on the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act and the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, and celebrates the organization's 25^th birthday.

Blog Celebrating National Breastfeeding Month

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee published a blog post: "Reflecting on National Breastfeeding Month 2023 Wins." The blog lifts up National Breastfeeding Month highlights, including the first-ever Semana de La Lactancia Latina and the Times Square video billboard advertisement and event. Thank you to everyone who engaged with National Breastfeeding Month celebrations and contributed to the month's success!

Comments Submitted on NASEM Committee Examining Infant Formula Regulation

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee submitted comments to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on the composition of the ad hoc committee tasked with completing a project titled, "Challenges in Supply, Market Competition, and Regulation of Infant Formula in the United States." The project will examine and report on characteristics of the U.S. infant formula market, challenges in supply or market competition, differences in infant formula marketed in the United States and infant formula marketed in the European Union, and other related information. The committee will produce a report of its findings, conclusions, and recommendations on measures to address supply and market competition in the United States. The USBC comments raise concerns about the conflict of interest of several appointed members, note the lack of representation from parent advocacy organizations and breastfeeding experts, and provide recommendations of individuals and organizations that should be considered for the committee.

Weekly Wire Hiatus

The Weekly Wire will be on hiatus next week while we are hosting the Fall 2023 USBC Membership Meeting. We look forward to connecting the following week!

USBC Supports...

Congress: Access to Donor Milk Act of 2023 (S. 2819/H.R. 5486)

National News

Bipartisan, Bicameral Introduction of Access to Donor Milk Act

U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) and U.S. Representatives Maria Salazar (R-FL), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA), and Stephanie Bice (R-OK) introduced the Access to Donor Milk Act of 2023 (S. 2819/H.R. 5486). The bipartisan legislation would help increase life-saving access to donor milk for more families by:

Allowing agencies to use Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) funding to promote the need for and benefits of donor milk and allowing WIC funds to support donor milk activities in states, tribes, and territories;
Providing emergency capacity-building funding ($3 million) for milk banks in the event that there is a rapid increase in demand for donor milk, as occurred during the 2022 formula shortage;
Creating a donor milk awareness program at the Department of Health and Human Services ($1 million) to educate the public on donor milk, nonprofit milk banks, and to publicize the need for donor milk; and
Requiring that the Secretary of Health and Human Services draft guidance that addresses appropriate standards for collection, processing, handling, transfer, and storage of donor milk and requiring the Secretary to convene a public meeting to inform this guidance.

NCSL Report on Supporting Health in the Postpartum Period

The National Conference of State Legislatures published a report: "Supporting Moms’ Health in the Postpartum Period." The report includes background and state examples of legislative policy options for increasing access to health care services during the postpartum period, including breastfeeding.

National Infant Mortality Awareness Month

The National Institute for Children's Health Quality (NICHQ) is hosting a National Infant Mortality Awareness Month webpage. The webpage features NICHQ initiatives to reduce infant mortality and includes a social media toolkit with ready-to-share graphics and posts that can be used to raise awareness about infant mortality and make sure that families are equipped with the tools to live healthier lives.

USBC Insight: Breastfeeding plays an essential role in establishing good nutrition and healthy weight, reducing the risk of chronic disease, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and improving infant health outcomes. A recent CDC study of over 3 million U.S. births found that breastfeeding is associated with a 26% reduction in the odds of post-perinatal (between 7-364 days) infant death.