Weekly Wire: Staying Abreast: NBM Apparel, FY24 Appropriations Update, & 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: Staying Abreast: NBM Apparel, FY24 Appropriations Update, & more

7/14/2023

In this issue:

USBC Updates
- 2023 National Breastfeeding Month T-Shirts Now Available!
- The USBC Team has Grown!
- Coalition Letter Calling for Increased Funding for Breastfeeding in Fiscal Year 2024 Delivered to House Appropriations Committee
National News
- Call for Evidence for AHRQ Review on Breastfeeding and Health Outcomes for Infants and Children
- OWH Announces Phase 2 Winners of Breastfeeding Innovation Challenge
- USDA Resource to Reassure Parents About Common Breastfeeding Concerns
- SIDS Awareness Month Planning Webinar
- WIC Participant and Program Characteristics Study Comment Opportunity
- Office of Workplace Congressional Rights PWFA Webpage
- DOL Mothers, Famillies and Work Webpage
- AMCHP State Title V Profiles
- Issue Brief on Medicaid Expansion and Reproductive Health
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 T-Shirts Now Available!

August is National Breastfeeding Month and this year's theme is This is Our Why. Celebrate your passion for the month by purchasing an official NBM 2023 T-shirt featuring the This is Our Why design in a variety of colors and styles. With each purchase, you are supporting USBC advocacy efforts which are made possible through the generosity of our donors and shoppers (USBC earns about $5 per shirt). Check out our Bonfire store to browse our NBM apparel and other official USBC merchandise.

The USBC Team has Grown!

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee is excited to announce that our team has expanded! Please give a warm welcome to Alina Everson, Data Management Specialist, and Christina Beccles, Membership Manager. Get to know the entire team on the USBC Staff Team webpage.

Coalition Letter Calling for Increased Funding for Breastfeeding in Fiscal Year 2024 Delivered to House Appropriations Committee

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee delivered an organizational sign-on letter calling for increased funding for the CDC Hospitals Promoting Breastfeeding line item to members of the House Appropriations Committee ahead of today's markup of the Fiscal Year 2024 Labor, Health And Human Services, Education, And Related Agencies spending bill. The letter, signed by 177 organizations, calls for the committee to direct $20M to the Hospitals Promoting Breastfeeding program. This funding level, $10.25M above Fiscal Year 2023, represents a critical course correction in national investment in the health, safety, and well-being of infants and young children. We will continue to accept additional signers on the letter in preparation for delivery to the Senate Appropriations Committee. Please share this opportunity widely with your network!

National News

Call for Evidence for AHRQ Review on Breastfeeding and Health Outcomes for Infants and Children

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Evidence-based Practice Center is accepting evidence submissions for the "Breastfeeding and Health Outcomes for Infants and Children" systematic review. The purpose of the review is to provide a synthesis of the current evidence on the association between breastfeeding/consumption of human milk and a range of health outcomes in infants and children. AHRQ is seeking supplemental evidence and data that is relevant to the questions in the evidence report. The deadline to submit comments is Friday, August 4.

OWH Announces Phase 2 Winners of Breastfeeding Innovation Challenge

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office on Women’s Health (OWH) announced the Phase 2 awardees of the Reducing Disparities in Breastfeeding Innovation Challenge. This competition identifies programs that increase breastfeeding initiation and continuation rates, and decrease disparities among breastfeeding mothers in the United States. Phase 2 winners will be eligible to compete for five prize awards of up to $55,000 in Phase 3. Highlights from the field include:

CHEER: "CHAMPS Wins the HHS Office on Women’s Health Reducing Disparities in Breastfeeding Innovation Challenge Phase 2 Award"

USDA Resource to Reassure Parents About Common Breastfeeding Concerns

The U.S. Department Of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service published the "Breastfeeding Reassurance Tips" webpage. The interactive webpage is designed as a quick reference to help physicians and nutritionists address common breastfeeding concerns related to baby hunger cues, breastfeeding position, latch and weaning, breastfeeding while working or going to school, and to develop a care plan. Each of the topics includes talking points that provide a conversation starting point with participants.

SIDS Awareness Month Planning Webinar

The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) is hosting the "SIDS Awareness Month 2023 Planning Webinar" on Thursday, July 27, from 2-3 p.m. ET. Every October, the safe infant sleep community recognizes SIDS Awareness Month as a time to encourage all parents and caregivers to learn about and practice safe infant sleep. The webinar will share new resources, review the updated SIDS Awareness Month digital toolkit, and provide ideas for safe sleep activities.

USBC Insight: Human milk feeding is an important component of safe sleep. Babies who are breastfed or fed human milk are at a reduced risk for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) compared with babies who were never fed human milk. The longer a baby is exclusively breastfed or fed human milk, the lower the baby’s risk of SIDS.

WIC Participant and Program Characteristics Study Comment Opportunity

The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) issued a notice titled, "Agency Information Collection Activities: WIC Participant and Program Characteristics 2024 & 2026 Study." The notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on a proposed information collection for the WIC Participant and Program Characteristics 2024 and 2026 Study. The deadline to submit a comment is Tuesday, August 22.

House NDAA Requires Report on Breastfeeding Support for Military Families

The House Committee on Armed Services published "H. Rept. 118-125 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024." In the report, the Committee directs the Secretary of Defense to provide a report on access to breastfeeding support among service members.

Office of Workplace Congressional Rights PWFA Webpage

The Office of Workplace Congressional Rights launched a webpage titled, "Pregnant Workers Fairness Act." The webpage provides resources on the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA), details PWFA requirements, and outlines federal laws that apply to pregnant employees in the legislative branch.

DOL Mothers, Famillies and Work Webpage

The U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau updated the "Mothers, Families and Work" webpage. The webpage hosts a series of resources including data on mothers in the workforce, family care, and information on employment protections for workers who are pregnant or nursing.

AMCHP State Title V Profiles

The Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP) released the State Title V Profiles. The state profiles provide brief summaries of how the Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services Block Grant works in each state and territory, highlighting specific programs funded with Title V dollars, and summarizing the number of pregnant women, infants under one, children and adolescents, children with special health care needs, and others served by the Title V MCH Services Block Grant. Each profile also highlights state MCH needs, key grants that are supported by Title V in the state or territory, and key contact information. Breastfeeding is included in the MCH Block Grant National Performance Measures.

Issue Brief on Medicaid Expansion and Reproductive Health

Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) published an issue brief titled, "What Does the Recent Literature Say About Medicaid Expansion?: Impacts on Sexual and Reproductive Health." The brief updates prior KFF literature reviews by summarizing 40 recent studies on the impacts of Medicaid expansion on a range of sexual and reproductive health outcomes, including maternal and infant health access, utilization, and outcomes.