Weekly Wire: Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Week of Action, Updated WHO Recommendations, and more

In this issue:

• USBC Updates
  • Join the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Week of Action
  • New USBC Members: Indigenous Firstfeeding Coalition of Colorado and Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Breastfeeding Coalition
  • New Racial Equity 101 Training Series
  • Best Wishes to Sarah!
  • Weekly Wire Hiatus & USBC Office Closure
• International News
  • New WHO Recommendations for Care of Preterm & Low Birthweight Infants 
• National News
  • Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act Passes Out of Committee
  • AHRQ Systematic Review of Postpartum Care
  • Social Determinants of Health for Babies Report
  • March of Dimes 2022 Report Card
  • Webcast on Tackling Breastfeeding Disparities Through Community & Hospital-Based Approaches
  • Community Milk Sharing Webinar
• State & Community News
  • Online Resource Hub on Lactation Rights of California Workers
  • PSA on Breastfeeding Helpline in California County
• Funding Opportunities
• News & Views
• Journal Publications

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

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USBC Updates

Join the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Week of Action

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Week of Action is happening now! More than 50 organizations, including the USBC, are sponsoring this event to call on Senate leadership to bring the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act to the Senate floor for a vote ASAP. Far too often, pregnant workers are denied the simple accommodations they need to continue working. The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act would change this by ensuring that workers have access to accommodations for pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions, including lactation. This legislation has passed the House of Representatives and has the bipartisan support it needs to pass the Senate, but leadership has not scheduled a vote. We need to get this done before the end of the year when the Congressional session ends! Join us by taking action:

• Email your Senators to urge them to take action on the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act
• Call Senator Schumer to ask him to bring the bill to the Senate floor. Calling is easy! Simply dial (202) 224-6542 and leave a message with the front desk or ask to speak to the staffer who works on the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. You can read from the script below or speak from the heart to let Senator Schumer know that this is important:
  • I am calling as a concerned member of the public to urge you to bring the bipartisan Pregnant Workers Fairness Act to the Senate floor for a vote before it's too late. Babies and families are counting on you. 
• Call your Senators to ask them to urge Senator Schumer to bring Pregnant Workers Fairness Act to the Senate floor. Text PWFA to 747464 and MomsRising will connect you to your Senator's office and provide instructions.
• View the PWFA Week of Action Toolkit for talking points, graphics, and sample social media posts. Join the conversation at hashtag #ProtectPregnantWorkers.

New USBC Members: Indigenous Firstfeeding Coalition of Colorado and Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Breastfeeding Coalition

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee is pleased to welcome two new coalitions to the USBC membership! The Indigenous Firstfeeding Coalition of Colorado was established to improve significantly low lactation rates in Indigenous communities due to generational and historical trauma. The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Breastfeeding Coalition comes to the USBC with a mission of protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding in the Indigenous community through education and advocacy. The USBC warmly welcomes both coalitions to the membership community!

New Racial Equity Training Series

The USBC launched a Racial Equity 101 on-demand webinar series. The series includes three previously-recorded webinars that begin to lay the foundation for an understanding of the principles of racial equity. They are not exhaustive, as the work is ongoing for each of us as individuals and as organizations. You are welcome to view them at your convenience and return to them as you continue reflecting and processing the information. Complete the registration form to access the series. 

Best Wishes to Sarah!

The USBC team would like to express our sincere gratitude for the work and service of Sarah Walz as she steps away from the organization. Sarah has provided valued service to the USBC for the past eight years as a key member of the Staying Abreast: Weekly Wire newsletter team, managing the USBC social media channels, developing the state and territorial breastfeeding reports, supporting the annual conference, and a wide range of communication and advocacy efforts, including the annual report. This is Sarah's last week with the USBC. It's been a pleasure to have her as a teammate, and she will be greatly missed. We wish her all the best in her next endeavor!

Weekly Wire Hiatus & USBC Office Closure

The Weekly Wire will be on hiatus next week while USBC staff is out of the office for Thanksgiving break. The USBC offices will be closed on Thursday, November 24, in observance of the holiday. We look forward to connecting when we return!

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International News

New WHO Recommendations for Care of Preterm & Low Birthweight Infants 

The World Health Organization (WHO) launched a report titled "WHO Recommendations for Care of the Preterm or Low-Birth-Weight Infant." The report introduces 25 care recommendations based on new evidence that can improve the survival, health, and well-being of preterm or low birth weight babies. The recommendations in this guideline are intended to inform the development of national and subnational health policies, clinical protocols, and programmatic guides. The updated guidelines emphasize that premature babies should receive skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth and the importance of providing breast milk.

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National News

Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act Passes Out of Committee

The Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act (H.R. 8450) advanced out of the House Education and Labor Committee. The bill would reauthorize critical child nutrition programs, including the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), school meals, and summer feeding programs. The Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act would authorize and expand the Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program, authorizing $180M in funding for this program, a $90M increase, to ensure that WIC agencies can support more full-time positions and increase placements outside of clinics. The bill would also provide targeted funding flexibility to ensure that breastfeeding supplies can be purchased with food funds, extend postpartum eligibility for WIC to two years, and extend child eligibility to age six or the beginning of kindergarten. Find additional details about how the Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act would support lactation with the "Child Nutrition Reauthorization: WIC Provisions in the Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act" fact sheet from the National WIC Association.

AHRQ Systematic Review of Postpartum Care

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, in partnership with the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute posted a draft report titled "Postpartum Care Up To One Year After Pregnancy: A Systematic Review" which is open for comment until Saturday, December 31. The systemic review address two key questions related to the comparative benefits and harms of alternative strategies for postpartum healthcare delivery and extension of postpartum health insurance coverage. The purpose of the review is to inform Clinical Practice Guideline developers, policymakers, and providers of care or support for postpartum individuals.

Social Determinants of Health for Babies Report

In partnership with Child Trends, ZERO TO THREE released a report titled "Using the State of Babies Yearbook 2022 to Illuminate the Social Determinants of Health for Infants and Toddlers." The publication uses the State of Babies Yearbook data to highlight the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) for babies and their families. The report highlights breastfeeding in the context of paid family leave and worker protection policies for pregnant and breastfeeding individuals. In addition to the data, the report highlights policy solutions that can bolster health in communities and helps guide state policymakers in constructing "Baby SDOH" for their states. 

March of Dimes 2022 Report Card

The March of Dimes released the "2022 March of Dimes Report Card." The report card presents the state of maternal and infant health in the United States (U.S.), Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. The report card indicates the maternal and infant health crisis is worsening for all families. It continues to examine mom and baby health and the supplemental report presents how states are progressing towards pregnancy and childbirth targets, using the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Healthy People 2030 objectives. This year, the report card also includes a new section to describe March of Dimes organizational programmatic initiatives and advocacy efforts happening in each state to improve the health of moms, babies, and families. The report highlights support for breastfeeding in the context of access to doula support services and paid family leave systems.

Webcast on Tackling Breastfeeding Disparities Through Community & Hospital-Based Approaches

The University of Albany School of Public Health is hosting a webcast titled "Addressing Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Breastfeeding Through Community and Hospital-Based Approaches" on Wednesday, December 14, from 8:30-10:30 a.m. ET. This Breastfeeding Ground Rounds webcast will summarize trends in disparities in breastfeeding measures, identify contributing factors, describe successful initiatives to increase breastfeeding and reduce disparities, and discuss examples of steps being taken to implement these strategies in New York. 

 Community Milk Sharing Webinar

The California Breastfeeding Coalition is hosting a webinar titled "Community Milk Sharing: What You Need to Know About Giving and Receiving Liquid Gold" on Tuesday, December 6, at 12 p.m. PT. The event will provide information about the historical tradition of community milk sharing, wet nursing, and Black history and breastfeeding. The webinar will feature a panel of milk donors and milk recipients who will share their personal experiences.

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State & Community News

Online Resource Hub on Lactation Rights of California Workers

The California Work and Family Coalition launched an online Resource Hub. The goal of the Resource Hub is to provide resources and information to help California workers understand and navigate their rights. It provides a central access point for information and resources on paid leave and lactation rights for California workers.

PSA on Breastfeeding Helpline in California County

Riverside County Public Health Department in California released a promotional video for its Loving Support Breastfeeding Helpline. The helpline is run by English and Spanish-speaking certified lactation specialists and Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultants that provide 24/7 breastfeeding support to local residents. More information about the helpline and accessing support in Riverside County can be found on the Riverside University Health System website.

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Funding Opportunities

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development: Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Implementation Science to Advance Maternal Health and Maternal Health Equity for the IMPROVE initiative. Deadline: February 6, 2023.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Evidence for Action: Innovative Research to Advance Racial Equity. Deadline: Applications accepted on a rolling basis.

Rhode Island Foundation: Racial Equity and Social Justice Grants. Deadline: December 6, 2022.

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News & Views

 Baby-Friendly USA blog post: "Cape Cod Hospital Perseveres to Achieve Baby-Friendly Designation"

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services blog post: "The Path Forward: Improving Data to Advance Health Equity Solutions"

KBIA: "After Black infant mortality surged in Kansas, birth workers jumped into action"

Motherly: "Does breastfeeding protect against RSV? Yes, studies show"

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Journal Publications

American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education: "A Call to Action for Lactation Support at Colleges of Pharmacy"

JAMA Network: "Hospital Rankings and Health Equity"