Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire - Public Comment Opportunity to Guide Insurer Coverage, Blog on Breastfeeding Rates, and more

In this issue:

• USBC Updates
  • Blog on Breastfeeding Rates and Progress Toward National Goals
  • IYCFE Webpage Update Features Resources in Spanish
  • Call for Applications: Join a USBC Committee
• National News
  • Public Comment Opportunity to Guide Insurer Coverage of Breastfeeding Counseling
  • Call for Journal Submissions on Advancing Breastfeeding 
  • Statement on Nutritional Practices in the NICU for Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants
  • State Paid Leave Benefits Explainer
  • DOL Issue Brief on National and Global Lessons from Paid Leave Policies
• 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

Blog on Breastfeeding Rates and Progress Toward National Goals

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee published the "Comparing New CDC Breastfeeding Rates to Healthy People 2030 Breastfeeding Targets" blog. In August, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new data on breastfeeding rates among children born in 2021. The blog outlines key data highlights on breastfeeding initiation, duration, and exclusivity and how these rates compare to breastfeeding targets outlined in the Healthy People 2030 initiative.

IYCFE Webpage Update Features Resources in Spanish

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee updated the "Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies (IYCF-E)" webpage. The webpage compiles key information and resources for lactating parents, lactation support providers, and emergency responders. The webpage now includes new Spanish-language resources on infant and young child feeding in emergencies curated and shared by Alimentación Segura Infantil (ASI). ASI is a Puerto Rico-based USBC member organization that works towards food security for infants and small children via preparation, response, and recovery from emergencies and the life conditions that create social inequity and food instability. Submit items for consideration for this webpage or other USBC communication channels via the submission form.

Call for Applications: Join a USBC Committee

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee is accepting applications for committee service and seeks a diverse representation of individuals in each space. Working with a USBC committee provides an opportunity to connect with others, share your wisdom and passion, learn new skills, and experience the joy of governance rooted in inclusion and innovation. Volunteers provide critical recommendations on topics pertaining to membership, finances, operationalizing equity, and beyond. Express your interest via the form and our team will reach out when a committee has an opening. Visit the USBC Committee webpage to learn about the work of each group.

The following committees are open solely to USBC member organization representatives:

• Finance & Audit Committee
• Membership Engagement Committee
• Nominating Committee

The following committees are open to all interested individuals:

• Awards Committee
• Conference Program Committe *2025 planning committee is currently at capacity
• CRASH Committee (DEI)
• Sustainability & Vitality Committee (Fundraising)

We hope you'll join us because together, we do great things!

---

National News

Public Comment Opportunity to Guide Insurer Coverage of Breastfeeding Counseling

The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released the draft evidence review and recommendation statement on "Breastfeeding: Behavioral Counseling Interventions." The draft statement provides a B rating and recommends providing or referring pregnant and postpartum persons to interventions that support breastfeeding. A and B grade recommendations are services that the Task Force most highly recommends implementing for preventive care. The updated evidence review confirms that breastfeeding support and education that is provided during pregnancy and postpartum by professionals and peers is associated with an increase in the proportion of women still breastfeeding and exclusively breastfeeding at 6 months of follow up. The evidence review recommends that future efforts focus on how to consistently provide support for individuals of all backgrounds who are making feeding decisions for their infants. The deadline to submit comments is Monday, November 18.

USBC Insight: Recommendations from the USPSTF impact insurer coverage requirements under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The Task Force follows a multistep process when developing each of its recommendations. The release of the draft recommendation and evidence review is the second to last step in the process of developing an updated statement to replace the 2016 recommendation "Breastfeeding: Primary Care Recommendations."

Call for Journal Submissions on Advancing Breastfeeding 

The International Breastfeeding Journal issued a call for submissions for the "Collection on Advancing Breastfeeding Promotion, Protection, and Support for Better Health, Economics, and Planet." The purpose of this Special Collection is to understand the situation and determinants of recommended breastfeeding practices as well as innovations, interventions, and policies aimed at protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding nationally and globally. The submission deadline is Saturday, May 31, 2025.

Statement on Nutritional Practices in the NICU for Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants

The National Coalition for Infant Health published the "Statement on Nutritional Practices in the NICU for Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants." The statement emphasizes the critical importance of individualized nutritional care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), particularly for extremely low birth weight infants. The statement strongly supports the use of an exclusive human milk diet as the safest and most effective nutritional approach for these vulnerable infants.

State Paid Leave Benefits Explainer

The Bipartisan Policy Center published the "Comparing States' Paid Family Leave Benefits" explainer. The explainer provides a breakdown of the variations in paid family leave benefits across the 14 existing paid family leave programs in the country. The resource is designed as a reference to help federal policymakers work towards a national paid leave program. A national program would create greater uniformity between states and ease compliance burdens on employers.

DOL Issue Brief on National and Global Lessons from Paid Leave Policies

The U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau released the "Designing Paid Leave Policies: Lessons From Paid Leave in the U.S. and Around the World" issue brief. The document details paid leave policies in the United States as well as globally and draws on lessons from other countries' experiences that the U.S. can learn from to inform its own national paid leave program.

---

Action Opportunities

Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs: "AMCHP Annual Awards Nomination Form." Submission deadline: Monday, December 16.

 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "CDC and ATSDR Health Message Testing System." Comment deadline: Friday, November 15.

Collective Impact Forum: "Call for Applications for Collective Leadership Advancing Racial Equity (CLARE) Program." Application deadline: Tuesday, November 12.

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine: "Committee on Clinical Preventive Services for Addressing Cardiovascular Disease Risk to Reduce Pregnancy-related Deaths Among Women: Call for Experts." Application deadline: Wednesday, October 30.

---

Funding Opportunities

 Health Resources & Service Administration: "Partnership for National Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Leadership." Application deadline: Friday, January 3, 2025.

---

Upcoming Events

Tuesday, October 29:

• Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health: "Care, Connections, and Community: Supporting Behavioral Health of Pregnant and Postpartum People"

Wednesday, November 13:

•  Breastfeeding Family Friendly Communities: "BFFC implementation Leaders: Collaborative Round Table"
•  Virginia Breastfeeding Coalition: "November 2024 Membership Meeting"

---

News & Views

Arvada Press: "Mothers’ Milk Bank celebrates 40 years of helping infants thrive"

 Breastfeeding Family Friendly Communities:

• "Responding to Crisis and Strengthening Communities"
• "Self-Assessment for a Breastfeeding Friendly University"

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: "Biden-Harris Administration Takes Groundbreaking Action to Expand Health Care Access by Covering Traditional Health Care Practices"

Forbes: "How Companies Can Improve Paid Leave With New 'Leading On Leave Index'"

 La Leche League USA: "Restoring Indigenous Breastfeeding In My Family Lineage"

OhioHealth: "OhioHealth Mothers’ Milk Bank Opens New Milk Dispensary at Wooster Community Hospital"

---

Journal Publications

Journal of Human Lactation: "Barriers and Facilitators in Lactation Support for the Preterm Mother–Infant Dyad: An Integrated Approach"

Midwifery: "Community infant safe sleep and breastfeeding promotion and population level-outcomes: A mixed methods study"