Weekly Wire: Federal Funding Action Opportunity, mPINC Deadline Monday, and 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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Weekly Wire: Federal Funding Action Opportunity, mPINC Deadline Monday, and more

10/14/2022

Weekly Wire: October 14, 2022

The Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire e-Newsletter is a compendium of news, actions, and resources considered to be of interest or relevance to the breastfeeding field. The newsletter aims to support the USBC mission "To drive collaborative efforts for policy and practices that create a landscape of breastfeeding support across the United States." Included items are submitted for consideration or identified by the USBC e-news team via extensive online review. Whenever possible, the newsletter utilizes language directly from the primary source of an item without additional analysis or edits. In some cases, the USBC offers additional perspectives through the "USBC Insights," media and partner highlights, and the "News & Views" section. Inclusion of an item in the e-newsletter does not imply endorsement or support by the USBC of an item or organization, unless specifically noted.

In this issue:

USBC Updates
- Tell the White House: It's Time to Invest in Breastfeeding
National News
- mPINC Survey Deadline: Monday
- Take Action in Support of Child Nutrition Reauthorization
- NICHD 60th Anniversary Symposium
- Public Comment Opportunity on Infant Formula Enforcement Discretion Guidance
- Report and Dashboard on Maternity Care Deserts
- Seminar Series on Reproductive Health
- 'PRO-LIFE' Act Introduced in House
- Webinar on Inclusive Language, Supportive Practices, and Lactation
Funding Opportunities
News & Views
Journal Publications

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

USBC Updates

Tell the White House: It's Time to Invest in Breastfeeding

Join us in calling on the President and Vice President to increase the federal budget request for the Hospitals Promoting Breastfeeding line item! Since 2012, Congress has allocated funds to the CDC Hospitals Promoting Breastfeeding program. The funds extend beyond hospital walls, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention uses these funds to support a wide range of public health outcomes. Each fiscal year, the appropriations process begins with the President's Budget, which sets the stage for federal budget negotiations. Together, we can ensure that breastfeeding and human milk feeding is at the table with the White House from the beginning. Take action now!

National News

mPINC Survey Deadline: Monday

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 2022 national survey of Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) will close on Monday, October 17. CDC would like to send a BIG THANK YOU to all the hospitals that have already submitted their survey! There is still time for every hospital to be counted. To receive an individualized Hospital Report and be included in state, regional, and national level reports, hospitals must complete and submit their survey. If you have any questions, visit CDC's mPINC website or email mPINC@cdc.gov.

Take Action in Support of Child Nutrition Reauthorization

The National WIC Association published an action tool titled "Tell Congress to Pass Child Nutrition Reauthorization." Individuals can use the tool to contact their Senators in support of the Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act (H.R. 8450). The bill would reauthorize the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) as well as several other child nutrition programs, including the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), school meals, and summer feeding programs, which have not been reauthorized since 2010. This legislation would expand WIC eligibility, streamline certifications, permanently relax physical presence requirements for WIC clients, and increase authorized funding levels for the WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor program from $90 million to $180 million.

NICHD 60th Anniversary Symposium

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) is hosting a daylong virtual symposium celebrating its 60th anniversary. The symposium is titled "Healthy Pregnancies. Healthy Children. Healthy and Optimal Lives." It will take place on Monday, October 17, beginning at 8:30 a.m. ET. Speakers will highlight future directions of NICHD research and celebrate major accomplishments from the last 60 years.

Public Comment Opportunity on Infant Formula Enforcement Discretion Guidance

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) published a report titled "Infant Formula Transition Plan for Exercise of Enforcement Discretion: Guidance for Industry." Given recent events precipitating a critical shortage of infant formula in the United States, FDA is issuing this guidance document to protect public health by helping to stabilize the supply of infant formula in the United States and to maintain a consistent supply of a variety of infant formula products. The document describes FDA's current thinking on circumstances under which the agency intends to continue exercising temporary enforcement discretion for certain infant formula products. Individuals and organizations can submit public comments on the guidance document. Comments must be received before Monday, November 7.

Report and Dashboard on Maternity Care Deserts

The March of Dimes released a report titled "Nowhere to Go: Maternity Care Deserts Across the U.S." The report explores the facets of healthcare that affect how and where maternity care is provided in the U.S. Key findings from the report include: a five percent increase in counties that have worse maternity access since 2020 and a two percent increase in counties that are maternity care deserts since 2020. The report also includes new sections on postpartum care, broadband access, and more. In partnership with Deloitte, March of Dimes also released a "Maternity Care Deserts Dashboard" that includes an interactive map. Media highlights include:

STAT: "Maternity care 'deserts' on the rise across the U.S., report finds"

Seminar Series on Reproductive Health

The Harvard SOGIE (Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression) Health Equity Research Collaborative is hosting an online seminar series featuring presentations on reproductive health for the next six months. Presenters will cover a range of topics including, language, gender, and pregnancy; trauma and reproductive justice for LGBTQIA2S+ health equity; and more.

'PRO-LIFE' Act Introduced in House

Representative Dean Phillips (D-MN-03), along with a group of 28 Democratic Representatives, introduced the Providing Real Opportunities and Lifelong Investments For Everyone (PRO-LIFE) Act of 2022. The bill includes a range of policies that support women and families during pregnancy and beyond, including paid and medical family leave and breastfeeding support. Read the press release.

Webinar on Inclusive Language, Supportive Practices, and Lactation

The California WIC Association is hosting a webinar titled "Inclusive Language & Supportive Practices" on Wednesday, November 9, at 4 p.m. ET. Speakers will discuss how to utilize inclusive language in the treatment of patients who identify as LGBTQIA+; provide more sensitive antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum care for the LGBTQIA+ community; and use evidence-based medicine to support LGBTOIA+ patients who choose to breast/chestfeed their infants. This is the first session in a two-part series titled "Human Lacation in the LGBT Community."

Funding Opportunities

This new section in the Weekly Wire is intended to collect and curate funding opportunities relevant to the First Food field. Have an upcoming funding opportunity? Please submit it!

American Association of Birth Centers Foundation: Birth model research grants. Deadline: Monday, January 23.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Health Policy Fellows program. Deadline: Monday, November 7.