Weekly Wire: State Breastfeeding Reports, Lancet Series on Breastfeeding, FMLA Anniversary, and more

In this issue:

• USBC Updates
  • 2023 State & Territorial Breastfeeding Reports Released
  • Join the Most Unified Voice Advocating for Breastfeeding Policy and Practice Change in the U.S.
  • Deadline TODAY: Welcome Congress Sign-On Letter
• Special Section on the 2023 Lancet Breastfeeding Series
• Special Section on the 30th Anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act
• National News
  • Updated Recommendations on Infant Feeding & HIV
  • Free Webinar Recording on Breastfeeding in Black Communities
  • ASPHN Brief on Complimentary Feeding in East African Immigrant Families
  • Job Protection Act Introduced
  • HHS Briefing on Maternal Health Priorities 
  • House Committee on Rules Hunger in America Initiative
  • Webinar on Strategies to Advance Health Policy
• State & Community News
  • New Florida Breastfeeding Cafes Launch as Part of Continuity of Care Program
• News & Views
• Journal Publications

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

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USBC Updates

2023 State & Territorial Breastfeeding Reports Released

The USBC is thrilled to announce the release of the 2023 State & Territorial Breastfeeding Reports. Developed for each of the 50 states, DC, and four U.S. territories, each report compares breastfeeding rates and other measures against national levels and lists the coalitions serving that area. The comprehensive reports shed a light on the policy, system, and environmental factors that impact infant feeding outcomes and feature a description of the state and community-based projects made possible through federal funding in 2021 and 2022, including through the following agencies: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service Office on Women's Health National Institutes of Health

Join the Most Unified Voice Advocating for Breastfeeding Policy and Practice Change in the U.S.

Is your organization implementing policies, programs, or practices that advance the protection, promotion, and support of breastfeeding and human milk feeding? Then we've saved a seat for you! The membership of the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee represents the most unified voice in advocating for breastfeeding policy and practice change in the US. Our membership network includes more than 100 organizations that support the USBC mission to drive collaborative efforts for policy and practices that create a landscape of breastfeeding support across the United States. Organizations that complete the membership application and onboarding process by the priority deadline of Sunday, March 12, at 11:59 p.m. will be entered into a raffle to win one complimentary registration to the National Breastfeeding Conference and Convening. Apply now!

Deadline TODAY: Welcome Congress Sign-On Letter

The deadline for organizations to be included in the initial delivery of our sign-on letter welcoming the new Congress and urging them to prioritize breastfeeding during the 118th Congressional Session is today! We are looking to deliver the letter with strong support from organizations from all 50 states. We are particularly in need of sign on from organizations from Arkansas, Delaware, North Dakota, and Wyoming. The letter calls on Congress to advance five policy priorities identified by the USBC and our membership: federal funding for breastfeeding, infant nutrition security, access to lactation support & supplies, workplace protections, and maternity care. Additional signatures will be added on a rolling basis. The letter will be delivered to all Senators and Representatives as part of the USBC Welcome Congress campaign, taking place the week of February 13. 

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Special Section on the 2023 Lancet Breastfeeding Series

The Lancet Series on Breastfeeding Released

The Lancet published the 2023 Lancet Series on Breastfeeding, a three-paper series outlining the strategies used by commercial formula manufacturers to target parents, healthcare professionals, and policy-makers. The series focuses on the marketing practices that are in breach of The International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes and are compounded by the lobbying of governments, often covertly via trade associations and front groups, against strengthening breastfeeding protection laws and challenging food standard regulations.

• 1,000 Days/USBC: 1,000 Days and the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee distributed an open letter to Congress highlighting the new research and the critical need for strong policies to leverage the value of breastfeeding. The letter was sent to all Senator and Representative offices and urges policymakers to take action to strengthen infant nutrition security. 
• The Lancet:
  • The Lancet released the 2023 breastfeeding series with three research articles and one comment article:
    • "Breastfeeding: crucially important, but increasingly challenged in a market-driven world"
    • "Marketing of commercial milk formula: a system to capture parents, communities, science, and policy"
    • "The political economy of infant and young child feeding: confronting corporate power, overcoming structural barriers, and accelerating progress"
    • "Comment: Stemming commercial milk formula marketing: now is the time for radical transformation to build resilience for breastfeeding"
  • The Lancet also released a video describing the new research titled "The 2023 Lancet Series on Breastfeeding."
• WHO: 
  • The World Health Organization released the webcast recording from the launch event on the "Launch of the 2023 Lancet Series on Breastfeeding, including the influence of commercial milk formula marketing" webpage. 
  • WHO issued a press release titled "Experts call for clampdowns on exploitative formula milk marketing in new Lancet series."

Lancet Breastfeeding Series News & Views

• ABC News: "Baby formula milk companies 'exploit' parents' fears to boost sales, analysis alleges"
• Eureka Alert: "THE LANCET: Experts call for an end to the exploitative marketing used by the baby formula milk industry"
• Health Policy Watch: "After Years of 'Pathologising' Normal Baby Behaviour to Sell Products, Experts Want a Ban on Infant Formula Marketing"
• STAT: "How formula companies continue to thwart breastfeeding"

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Special Section on the 30th Anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act

This week marked the 30th anniversary of the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The FMLA entitles eligible employees of covered employers to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons, including the birth or adoption of a child. Organizations across the nation marked the anniversary of these important protections with special events and celebrations as well as issuing a call for the establishment of a national paid family and medical leave program.

• ABB: A Better Balance published a blog titled "30 Years After the FMLA, Working Families Still Need and Deserve Comprehensive Paid Leave."
• DOL: The U.S. Department of Labor marked the FMLA's 30th anniversary with a variety of events and the release of new and updated resources.  
  • DOL released the webcast recording from the "FMLA 30th Anniversary Ceremony."
  • DOL published a new webpage titled "30 Years of Family and Medical Leave" featuring stories from workers who have benefitted from FMLA.
  • DOL published a blog titled "Celebrating 30 Years of the Family and Medical Leave Act."
  • The Women's Bureau launched a new paid leave webpage describing the types of leave, key data, and compiling DOL resources. 
• MomsRising: MomsRising released a statement titled "America's Moms Thank the Biden Administration for Advancing Paid Leave on a Bittersweet 30-Year Anniversary of Passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act."
• NWLC: The National Women's Law Center published a blog titled "The FMLA Is Turning 30. It’s Grown Older, But Now It’s Time to Get Wiser."
• White House: The White House issued a proclamation titled "A Proclamation on the 30th Anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act."

FMLA at 30 News & Views

• 24/7 Wall St.: "The Only States Offering Paid Family Leave in the US"
• Ms. Magazine: "America's Lack of Paid Leave Is Devastating Women and Families"
• Vox: "The dismal state of paid — and unpaid — leave in America"

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National News

 Updated Recommendations on Infant Feeding & HIV

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published updated recommendations and information on infant feeding for individuals with HIV on the CDC's Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Contraindications webpages. These recommendations are based on the Department of Health and Human Services infant feeding guidelines, titled "Recommendations for the Use of Antiretroviral Drugs During Pregnancy and Interventions to Reduce Perinatal HIV Transmission in the United States."

 Free Webinar Recording on Breastfeeding in Black Communities

BreastfeedLA is offering a free recording of the "Black Women Breastfeed Too: Past, Present, and Future" webinar which looks at the history of breastfeeding in Black communities. The webinar discusses how historical experiences of Black women in the United States have contributed to trauma associated with breastfeeding, and how this trauma has impacted breastfeeding in the community. This webinar is approved for continuing education. 

 ASPHN Brief on Complimentary Feeding in East African Immigrant Families

The Association of State Public Health Nutritionists (ASPHN) released a brief titled, "Complementary Feeding: Children Born to East African Immigrant Families." For the first time, the U.S. Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services included dietary recommendations for infants and toddlers in the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). ASPHN is providing complementary feeding briefs to assist nutrition professionals in supporting families' diverse experiences and cultural preferences. This brief includes complementary feeding perspectives and breastfeeding practices that are observed in East African Immigrants in the U.S. 

Job Protection Act Introduced

Congresswoman Lauren Underwood and Senator Tina Smith introduced the Job Protection Act (H.R. 789/S. 242). The legislation would expand eligibility for the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to more workers by reducing the employment period required for employees to become eligible for family and medical leave and ensuring that the requirements are applicable to all employers, regardless of the number of workers they employ.

HHS Briefing on Maternal Health Priorities 

In honor of Black History Month, the Department of Health and Human Services is hosting the "HHS Maternal Health Stakeholder Briefing" on Friday, February 17, at 12:30 p.m. ET. a briefing on maternal health priorities and activities for 2023. During the webinar participants will hear from Secretary Xavier Becerra and other key agency leaders celebrating recent maternal health wins from the Omnibus and additional Departmental activities that advance equity in maternal health outcomes. 

House Committee on Rules Hunger in America Initiative

The House Committee on Rules unveiled the Hunger in America Initiative in a new video, inviting stories on hunger, innovations that are making a difference, and ideas on how to solve the crisis. The Committee is providing an opportunity to everyone, from educators with new research, to organizations with innovative concepts, to families facing food insecurity, to submit their stories to help guide the work to end hunger. 

USBC Insight: Whether you are a parent, a lactation consultant or provider, or an advocate in the First Food field, we encourage you to submit stories that demonstrate the importance of infant nutrition security and the need to include human milk feeding in all efforts to address hunger and food security.

Webinar on Strategies to Advance Health Policy

County Health Rankings and Roadmaps is hosting a webinar titled, "Non-Partisan Strategies to Advance Health Policy" on Tuesday, February 21, at 3 p.m. ET in partnership with ChangeLab Solutions. The webinar will explore non-partisan opportunities to promote health equity to policymakers and will discuss ways to develop effective, equitable health policies. An interactive virtual discussion will take place immediately after the webinar.

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State & Community News

New Florida Breastfeeding Cafes Launch as Part of Continuity of Care Program

The Breastfeeding Touchpoint Program has established accessible, culturally appropriate lactation support services through the Breastfeeding Café Collection. Mothers are invited to join new and expectant moms to learn tips, tricks, and truths on breastfeeding and lactation, ask questions, share experiences, and connect with professionals for ongoing support. The program is focused on increasing continuity of care and community support for breastfeeding.

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News & Views

Boston Globe: "Breast-feeding and Black moms — why I'm breaking a generational cycle"

FDA: "FDA Proposes Redesign of Human Foods Program to Enhance Coordinated Prevention and Response Activities"

 Healthy Horizons: "PUMP ACT and New York Labor Law Promising Advancements for Breastfeeding Protections for Working Parents Passed in 2022"

Verywell Family: "New Laws Benefit Pregnant Workers and Breastfeeding Parents"

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Journal Publications

Public Health Reports: "National Policies on Parental Leave and Breastfeeding Breaks: Racial, Ethnic, Gender, and Age Disparities in Access and Implications for Infant and Child Health"