Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire: mPINC Hospital Reports Released & more

The USBC e-Newsletter, Staying Abreast, is published in a weekly news brief format, called the Weekly Wire (WW). Past issues are archived below.

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Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire: mPINC Hospital Reports Released & more

6/16/2023

In this issue:

USBC Updates
- 2023 National Breastfeeding Month Theme Announcement
- USBC Active Legislation Webpage Updated
- Take Action in Support of the Black Maternal Health Momnibus
- Thank You for Making the 2023 National Breastfeeding Conference & Convening a Success!
International News
- WHO World Health Statistics 2023 Report
National News
- CDC 2022 Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) Hospital Reports Released
- World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative Draft State Scores Open for Public Comment
- NACCHO Continuity of Care Blueprint Webinar
- PREEMIE Reauthorization Act Introduced
- 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Draft Protocols Available for Public Comment
- A Better Balance Pregnant and Postpartum Workers Resource
- ASTHO Breastfeeding Virtual Learning Series
- FDA Proposed Rule on Medication Guides
- Call for Stories from the Global Breastfeeding Collective
- FEMA Listening Session and Public Feedback Request on Engaging Faith-Based and Community Organizations in Emergency Planning
- AHRQ Systemic Review on Postpartum Care up to 1 Year After Pregnancy
- Congressional Research Service Report on Federal Employee Paid Parental Leave
State & Community News
- Louisiana Bill Extending Leave for Public School Employees and Bus Drivers Passes
- Massachusetts Bill Introduced to Require Insurer Coverage of Donor Milk
Funding Opportunities
News & Views
Journal Publications

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

USBC Updates

2023 National Breastfeeding Month Theme Announcement

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee is thrilled to announce that the 2023 National Breastfeeding Month (NBM) theme is This is Our Why. Each of us has our own "why": why we care, why we work so hard, why we are passionate, and why we don't give up! This theme was developed to shine a light on the many reasons we individually and collectively strive to increase support for breastfeeding and human milk feeding. Join us as we take the time in August for action, education, and celebration of our collective efforts!

USBC Active Legislation Webpage Updated

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee relaunched the Active Legislation webpage, featuring federal legislation impacting breastfeeding families that has been introduced so far this Congressional session. The USBC closely monitors and mobilizes action on legislative and policy opportunities that can help create a landscape of breastfeeding support across the United States. Explore active bills and their current status in the legislative process on the webpage and visit the Take Action webpage for current action opportunities.

Take Action in Support of the Black Maternal Health Momnibus

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee launched an action tool titled "Moms Need Action: Pass the Black Maternal Health Momnibus." The U.S. is facing a maternal health crisis. The Black Maternal Health Momnibus is a robust package that includes 13 bills addressing the drivers of maternal mortality, morbidity, and disparities in the United States, including barriers to breastfeeding. Individuals can use the tool to call on their members of Congress to end this crisis by passing the Black Maternal Health Momnibus.

Thank You for Making the 2023 National Breastfeeding Conference & Convening a Success!

Thank you to the hundreds of individuals from across the country (and even around the globe!) who joined us in Bethesda, Maryland, last week for the 2023 National Breastfeeding Conference & Convening! We are grateful to our funder, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and for the diverse set of clinical, community, advocacy, and research presenters, speakers, and facilitators who made it possible to enrich and engage our attendees in such informative and dynamic conversations and skill-building sessions. We are grateful to the awardees who shared their powerful stories. We were also delighted to host so many wonderful in-person and virtual sponsors and exhibitors. We sincerely hope all participants enjoyed connecting, networking, and learning with us and are feeling inspired to continue working in support of families across the nation. Together, we do great things!

International News

WHO World Health Statistics 2023 Report

The World Health Organization released a report titled "World Health Statistics 2023: Monitoring Health for the Sustainable Development Goals." The annual World Health Statistics report features a compilation of health and health-related indicators. The 2023 edition reviews more than 50 health-related indicators from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and highlights breastfeeding as a life-saving intervention to prevent child deaths.

National News

2022 Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) Reports Released

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the 2022 Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) State Reports, 2022 mPINC National Report, and 2022 mPINC Regional Report. The CDC mPINC survey monitors infant feeding care practices and policies among all hospitals providing maternity care in the United States and territories. The national, regional, and state reports summarize the strength of breastfeeding support in hospitals across the nation and in each regional, state, or territory, as well as the areas that could be improved. These reports identify opportunities for states to better protect, promote, and support breastfeeding families.

NACCHO Continuity of Care Blueprint Webinar

The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) is hosting the final webinar in the Continuity of Care Blueprint series, "Every Step of the Way through the 1,000 Days”: Demystifying Infant Feeding Data to Strengthen Continuity of Care," on Wednesday, June 28, at 1 p.m. ET. This session will focus on Recommendation Four (4) of the "Continuity of Care in Breastfeeding Support: A Blueprint for Communities" report: develop a shared community breastfeeding database system to track infant feeding consistently for community health collective impacts efforts. The webinar will highlight the need for easily accessible and stratified local infant feeding data to understand the community continuity of care story, and the importance of joining efforts with community stakeholders to streamline data collection, reporting, and sharing.

World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative Draft State Scores Open for Public Comment

The World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative (WBTi) published the "United States of America and U.S. Territories 2023 DRAFT Assessment Report." WBTi is an innovative tool designed to track national progress with the targets set forth in the World Health Organization/UNICEF Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding. Each state and territory has unique maternal and child health resources and challenges. WBTi is calling on state coalitions and other maternal/child health entities to review their region's results and submit comments and corrections for indicators on the state's webpage. The deadline to submit comments is Friday, June 30.

PREEMIE Reauthorization Act Introduced

Senator Bennet (D-CO) and Representative Eshoo (D-CA-16) introduced the Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who Deliver Infants Early (PREEMIE) Reauthorization Act of 2023 (S. 1573/H.R. 3226). The PREEMIE Reauthorization Act of 2023 would renew Centers for Disease Control and Prevention research and programs on preterm birth; reauthorize Health Resources and Services Administration activities aimed at promoting healthy pregnancies and preventing preterm birth; provide for a new study on the costs, the impact of social factors, and gaps in public health programs that lead to prematurity; and establish an entity in the Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate all federal activities and programs related to preterm birth, infant mortality, and other adverse birth outcomes.

USBC Insight: In 2006, Congress passed the original PREEMIE Act (P.L. 109-450), the only federal law dedicated to the research, prevention, and treatment of preterm birth. The legislation authorizes the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), which is one of the major data sources on breastfeeding rates, and the Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Infant Mortality. In 2018, Congress reauthorized a 5-year extension, called the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act, renewing the U.S. commitment to address preterm birth through federal research, promoting known interventions, and promoting community initiatives. Authorization for PREEMIE Act programs will expire on December 31, 2023 if the PREEMIE Reauthorization Act of 2023 is not passed.

2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee Draft Protocols Available for Public Comment

The 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee is examining a list of prioritized scientific questions and has released draft protocols for the majority of the scientific questions under consideration, including related to nutrition for infant, toddler, pregnant, and lactating populations. A protocol is developed for questions answered using systematic review or food pattern modeling methodologies. A protocol describes how the methodology will be used to answer a specific question and includes an analytic framework, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and a synthesis plan which the Committee has tailored to the question. Each protocol is created before the Committee examines any evidence. Individuals and organizations are encouraged to submit comments about the protocols by Friday, June 30.

USBC Insight: Every 5 years, the Department of Health and Human Services releases updated Dietary Guidelines, which provide the basis for federal nutrition programs and recommendations. The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines included for the first time ever, populations under the age of 2 and those who are pregnant or lactating.

A Better Balance Pregnant and Postpartum Workers Resource

A Better Balance released a new webpage titled "Pregnant and Postpartum Workers: Know Your Rights!" The page includes resources and information on workplace protections available under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), including sample letters for requesting accommodations and informing your employer about PWFA.

ASTHO Breastfeeding Virtual Learning Series

The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) updated the "The Breastfeeding Virtual Learning Series" webpage. This annually-updated resource is comprised of 60-minute webinars highlighting emerging topics related to establishing breastfeeding equity.

FDA Proposed Rule on Medication Guides

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Proposed Rule titled, "Medication Guides: Patient Medication Information." The proposal would amend its human prescription drug product labeling regulations for Medication Guides. This proposed rule is intended to improve public health by providing patients with clear, concise, accessible, and useful written prescription drug product information delivered in a consistent and easily understood format to help patients use their prescription drug products safely and effectively. The proposed rule would require the subheading “Tell your health care provider before taking” followed by a statement that identifies specific populations and conditions, including pregnant and lactating people, that may have clinically important differences in response to the prescription drug product or may change the recommendation for use of the prescription drug product. Written comments on the proposed rule must be submitted by Monday, November 27.

Call for Stories from the Global Breastfeeding Collective

The Global Breastfeeding Collective, which includes UNICEF and the World Health Organization, is gathering stories of lactating parents, breastfeeding, and employees to share as part of this year’s World Breastfeeding Week activities. The collective seeks to learn about the biggest challenges faced by breastfeeding families and the things that helped them the most. The goal is to use these stories to inform lawmakers and employers about what matters most to lactating employees.

FEMA Listening Session and Public Feedback Request on Engaging Faith-Based and Community Organizations in Emergency Planning

The Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security, Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships are updating the "Engaging Faith-Based and Community Organizations: Planning Considerations for Emergency Managers" guidance. Originally published in June 2018, the document outlines best practices for engaging faith-based and community organizations before, during, and after disasters to help jurisdictions improve their resilience and emergency management capabilities. The update to the guide will include lessons learned from real-world events, updates to FEMA programs, additional resources, and recommendations from the public and key stakeholders. FEMA is seeking public feedback on the document and is hosting a webinar listening session on Tuesday, June 20, at 3 p.m. ET to provide an overview of the existing document and facilitate a discussion with stakeholders to gather feedback on additional ways to improve the guide.

AHRQ Systemic Review on Postpartum Care up to 1 Year After Pregnancy

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) published a systemic review titled, "Postpartum Care up to 1 Year After Pregnancy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis." This review assesses postpartum care for individuals up to 1 year after pregnancy, including breastfeeding care, and addresses the comparative effectiveness and harms of alternative strategies for postpartum healthcare delivery and extension of postpartum health insurance coverage.

Congressional Research Service Report on Federal Employee Paid Parental Leave

The Congressional Research Service published an In Focus report titled "The Federal Employee Paid Parental Leave Benefit." The resource provides an overview of the federal employee paid parental leave benefit created by the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act (FEPLA). The benefit is available to most civilian federal employees and allows for the substitution of up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave for unpaid leave guaranteed by the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which can be used for the arrival of the employee’s new child by birth, adoption, or foster care placement and for bonding with that child.

State & Community News

Louisiana Bill Extending Leave for Public School Employees and Bus Drivers Signed Into Law

Louisiana Governor Edwards signed House Bill 21 into law. The new legislation provides extended sick leave related to pregnancy and infant care for school bus operators and public school employees.

Massachusetts Bill Introduced to Require Insurer Coverage of Donor Milk

Massachusetts Representative Gregoire and Senator O'Connor introduced An Act relative to human donor milk coverage (S. 696/H. 1030). The bill would require health insurers to cover pasteurized donated human breast milk (DHM), including human milk fortifiers, if ordered by a licensed medical provider for eligible infants under the age of six months when the milk is obtained from a human milk bank that meets quality guidelines established by the Department of Health.