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Breastfeeding Resource Hub

Protecting, Promoting and Supporting Breastfeeding

We know that babies get the best start in life when they are exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months, and continue breastfeeding with complimentary feeding until they are 2 years old, following World Health Organization guidelines established in 2018.

As World Breastfeeding Week and National Breastfeeding Month begin, 1,000 Days celebrates the progress made to support mothers in breastfeeding their babies, while also recognizing the additional steps that need to be taken to truly support all those who wish to initiate and sustain breastfeeding. From policy changes to individual support, more action is needed to achieve breastfeeding goals globally. In the US, a recent win for breastfeeding mothers is the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act, PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act, which extends the right to receive break time to pump and a private place to pump at work to more nursing employees. Another win for breastfeeding science globally is the 2023 Lancet Breastfeeding series which reinforces the power of breastfeeding, policy changes needed to protect breastfeeding, and calls out intrusive marketing strategies utilized by formula companies to diminish breastfeeding.

Even though breastfeeding is the best way to protect newborns from malnutrition, infections, and disease, only 48% of babies around the world are exclusively breastfed based on data from 2015-2021. Breastfeeding support is recognized as a “Power 4” nutrition intervention, showcasing how critical it is for mothers and babies in low- and middle-income countries to support health and nutrition. Not only is breastfeeding counseling impactful on health and nutrition outcomes, but it is also one of the most cost-effective nutrition interventions, yielding up to $35US in economic returns with a $1US investment.

Across the United States Agency for International Development’s 14 priority geographies, breastfeeding counseling rates remain low. On average, in these areas, only 45% of mothers are receiving breastfeeding counseling in the 2 days after delivery. Breastfeeding counseling, whether individually or in a group setting, can help ensure mothers have the support they need while also helping them gain confidence and overcome challenges in their breastfeeding journey.

Governments, development partners, UN agencies, and non-government organizations have pledged to improve nutrition globally, particularly through increased investments in breastfeeding, as outlined at the 2021 Nutrition for Growth Summit. Additionally, the Global Breastfeeding Collective identified policy priorities for countries to implement to support, protect and promote breastfeeding:

  • Increase funding to raise breastfeeding rates from birth through two years.
  • Fully implement the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes and relevant World Health Assembly resolutions through strong legal measures that are enforced and independently monitored by organizations free from conflicts of interest.
  • Enact paid family leave and workplace breastfeeding policies, building on the International Labour Organization’s maternity protection guidelines as a minimum requirement, including provisions for the informal sector.
  • Implement the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding in maternity facilities, including providing breastmilk for sick and vulnerable newborns.
  • Improve access to skilled breastfeeding counseling as part of comprehensive breastfeeding policies and programs in health facilities.
  • Strengthen links between health facilities and communities, and encourage community networks that protect, promote, and support breastfeeding.
  • Strengthen monitoring systems that track the progress of policies, programs, and funding towards achieving both national and global breastfeeding targets.

As global leaders and governments continue to address the rising rates of malnutrition, which is impacting more than 1 billion adolescent girls and women worldwide, attention should be hyper-focused on breastfeeding support and counseling, through increased investments and policy changes, to support the health and nutrition of both current and future generations.

 

New Research Highlights Critical Need for Strong Policies to Leverage the Value of Breastfeeding

February 9, 2023

Dear Members of the 118th Congress,

As leaders advocating for healthy families and children, 1,000 Days and the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee invite you to join us in creating a landscape of breastfeeding support across the United States.

Breast milk is recognized as the optimal food for babies and plays a critical role in their growth and development.[i] Numerous studies have shown that breastfeeding promotes healthy cognitive and social-emotional development.[ii] It also saves lives by helping to protect babies from infections and conditions such as sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).[iii] Breastfeeding even lowers a child’s risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes later in life. In addition, women who breastfed reduce their risk of specific chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and breast and ovarian cancers.[iv]

Unfortunately, the U.S. has many barriers to establishing and maintaining breastfeeding. While four out of five babies born in the United States start out being breastfed, about half are still doing so at six months.[v] This is not due to capacity or wishes of the parent, but rather because environments in the U.S. do not support breastfeeding.

Our country’s policies, systems, and environments must be improved to make breastfeeding a realistic option for all families. New research released this week highlights the critical need for strong policies to fully leverage the value of breastfeeding.

  • Breastfeeding rates can be rapidly improved by scaling up known interventions, policies, and programs in the workplace and health system.
  • Infant formula companies utilize intrusive marketing strategies to families, health care providers, and policy makers to portray these products as solutions to common infant health issues in ways that systematically undermine breastfeeding and prey on parental concerns.
  • Policy changes are needed to address the power imbalances and political and economic structures that influence feeding practices and health outcomes.

As we approach the one-year anniversary of the infant formula crisis, it is critical that you and your colleagues in the House and Senate take action to address infant nutrition security, including through support for breastfeeding.

As you know, changing environments and systems requires everyone do their part – parents, policymakers, health facilities, communities, and employers. As a Member of Congress, you have an incredible opportunity to create the policy changes families need. Together, we can build on the momentum from recent advancements like the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) for Nursing Mothers Act to build a robust infrastructure for infant nutrition security.

Breastfeeding has such a profound impact on population health outcomes that increasing breastfeeding rates and creating lactation-friendly environments have been identified as critical public health priorities in the U.S. as well as across the world. Breastfeeding is included in a variety of national initiatives, including the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Healthy People 2030, The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding, and more.

It is time to move from reports and vision statements, to taking action on the policy priorities that families deserve. We hope you will take the time to explore the new Lancet series on breastfeeding and join us as we work to build a country where infant nutrition security and breastfeeding is valued, protected, promoted, and supported.

Sincerely,

Amelia Psmythe Seger,
U.S. Breastfeeding Committee		 Blythe Thomas,
1,000 Days

 

About 1,000 Days

An Initiative of FHI Solutions, 1,000 Days is the leading non-profit organization working in the U.S. and around the world to ensure women and children have the healthiest first 1,000 days. Our mission is to make the well-being of women and children in the first 1,000 days a policy and funding priority. We are passionate about turning evidence into action and use our deep understanding of the science and the issues to help shape policies that improve the lives of moms and babies in the U.S. and throughout the world.

About the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee

The mission of the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) is to drive collaborative efforts for policy and practices that create a landscape of breastfeeding support across the United States. USBC functions as a national coalition of 100+ organizational members representing nonprofits, breastfeeding coalitions, federal agencies, and businesses working at national, state/territorial, tribal, local, and community levels to protect, promote, and support human milk feeding. The USBC uses an equity-centered collective impact approach to facilitate multisectoral collaborations.

 

[i] Breastfeeding. World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/nutrition/topics/exclusive_breastfeeding/en/index.html.  Published Aug. 2018. Accessed February 6, 2023.

[ii] Nutrition in the First 1,000 Days: A Foundation for Brain Development and Learning, 1,000 Days and Think Babies. https://thousanddays.org/wp-content/uploads/1000Days-Nutrition_Brief_Brain-Think_Babies_FINAL.pdf. Accessed February 4, 2023.

[iii] Breastfeeding Benefits Both Baby and Mom. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/features/breastfeeding-benefits/index.html. Published July 27, 2021. Accessed February 6, 2023.

[iv] Making the decision to breastfeed | womenshealth.gov. womenshealth.gov. https://www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding/making-decision-breastfeed/#1. Published 2020. Accessed December 20, 2022.

[v] Breastfeeding Report Card, United States 2022. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/data/reportcard.htm. Published August 31, 2022. Accessed February 8, 2023.

Breastfeeding bills to look for in the 118th Congress

Breastfeeding bills to look for in the 118th Congress

Success in breastfeeding is everyone’s responsibility. In anticipation of the 118th Congress (2023), we’ve pulled together a short list highlighting the breastfeeding-related bills we support, because we know increased breastfeeding support is multifaceted and multisectoral. It envelops a wide range of environments from birthing spaces to places of work and even the halls of Congress. We believe these bills will improve policies and increase investments to enable more people to reach their breastfeeding goals.

Federal Nutrition Programs
The Wise Investment in Children (WIC) Act
This bill would extend eligibility for postpartum women to receive benefits under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to two years postpartum, extend the program certification window to two years to reduce attrition, and allow children to receive WIC benefits through their sixth birthday.

Access to Donor Milk
The Access to Donor Milk Act (ADMA)
This bill would help increase life-saving access to donor milk, particularly important in light of the 2022 formula recall and shortage, and as part of a robust infrastructure for infant nutrition security.

 Access to Quality, Comprehensive Health Care
Improving Coverage and Care for Mothers Act
This bill would expand eligibility for Medicaid to all who are pregnant or within one year postpartum. It would also authorize Medicaid to extend coverage of services provided to include lactation consultants. As the bill highlights, a lactation consultant is a health professional trained to focus on the needs and concerns of a breastfeeding mother and baby, and to prevent, recognize and solve breastfeeding difficulties.

The Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness (MOMMA’s) Act
This bill would expand eligibility for Medicaid up to one year postpartum, and for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) up to two years postpartum.

Health Equity
The Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act
This bill would comprehensively address every dimension of the Black maternal health crisis in America by making critical investments in social determinants that influence health outcomes and confront issues of systemic racism in the medical system. It would also establish grant programs to increase the number of perinatal health workers – including lactation consultants and dietitians – who offer culturally congruent support.

Paid Family and Medical Leave
The Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act
This bill would provide comprehensive paid family and medical leave of up to 12 weeks to all workers in the United States. Categorically recognizing paid leave as a public health imperative, this bill has the potential to transform the lives of families. As research shows, paid leave supports breastfeeding initiation and duration in a number of ways. For example, a person is more than twice as likely to stop breastfeeding in the month the person returns to work compared to someone who has not yet returned to work.

Keeping Healthy During Pregnancy & Breastfeeding

During pregnancy and when you’re breastfeeding, nutritious food choices will help fuel your
baby’s growth and keep you healthy.

Watch and learn 6 steps you can take during your 1,000-day window to nourish you and your little
one.

Taking a Prenatal Vitamin

Eating the Rainbow

Limiting Certain Foods

Managing your Weight

Focusing on Good Nutrition

Breastfeeding for the Benefits to You and Baby

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5 Things You Need to Know About Breastfeeding and HIV

Globally, over 36 million people are living with HIV and almost 2 million of these cases are children under the age of 15. Although far too many people are living with HIV globally, there has been remarkable progress in reducing new infections – particularly in preventing mother-to-child transmission. Between 2010 and 2017, the number of new infections among children under 5 declined by 35 percent and AIDS-related deaths among young children declined by nearly half.

Despite this noteworthy progress, there are still misconceptions about a woman’s ability to breastfeed if she is HIV positive. Mothers who are on consistent antiretroviral treatment (ARV) throughout the breastfeeding period have an extremely low risk of transmitting HIV to their babies. Supporting an HIV-positive woman’s ability to breastfeed through ARV treatment and lactation counseling gives children the lifesaving benefits of breastmilk. It also dually improves the woman’s own health by conferring the maternal health benefits of breastfeeding (such as reduced risk of certain cancers) and improving her health through ARV treatment. By strengthening support for HIV treatment and breastfeeding, we can improve survival and health for both mothers and children.

Note: The facts below are based on the recently published “Breastfeeding and HIV” Advocacy Brief. For more resources, check out the Global Breastfeeding Collective, led by UNICEF and WHO.

Here are 5 things you need to know about breastfeeding and HIV:

  1. Breastfeeding is the safest, most nutritious option for babies.
    Breastmilk is always the right temperature, requires no preparation and is readily available even in settings with limited access to clean water and adequate hygiene. Breastfeeding promotes cognitive development and acts as a child’s first vaccine, giving babies everywhere a critical boost.
  2. Breastfeeding is a life-saving intervention.
    Breastmilk contains antibodies and other components that protect children against deadly infections. In some contexts, when there may be limited or no access to clean water and hygienic conditions, breastfeeding can drastically reduce the risk of diarrhea and other deadly diseases.
  3. Breastfeeding mothers need (even more!) support when following an HIV treatment regimen alongside breastfeeding safely.
    With adequate support from their families, communities, health workers and society, almost all mothers can breastfeed, even in the harshest contexts. Support for breastfeeding must be free from commercial influences and must include counseling provided within health facilities and at the community level to guide mothers through breastfeeding with HIV safely.
  4. HIV testing, treatment and support should be provided as part of the care women receive before, during and after pregnancy.
    This support should be provided confidentially and without judgement. It should also be affordable and accessible for all families.
  5. Preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV is a public health priority.
    Adequate services and support can help women protect themselves from being infected with HIV before and during pregnancy and throughout the breastfeeding period.

The life-saving protection of breastfeeding is critical to children surviving and thriving around the world. Particularly in settings where malnutrition is widespread, breastfeeding guarantees a safe, nutritious and accessible food source for infants and young children and a protective shield against death and disease. But breastfeeding requires immense support from families, communities and societies, and by strengthening support for the treatment of HIV and breastfeeding, we can improve survival and health for both mothers and children globally.

5 Things You Need to Know About Breastfeeding in Emergencies

Civil unrest and war, natural disasters and epidemics can force families from their homes, limit access to affordable, nutritious foods and clean water, and cause disruptions to basic services—like electricity and health care.

Breastfeeding is no easy feat—and when combined with the additional challenges that families face during emergencies, it can seem nearly impossible.

These recommendations are based on the recently published “Breastfeeding in Emergency Situations” Advocacy Brief, and for more resources please check out the Global Breastfeeding Collective, which is led by UNICEF and WHO.

Here are 5 things you need to know about breastfeeding in emergencies:

  1. Breastfeeding is the safest, most nutritious and reliable food source for infants under the age of six months.
    Breastmilk is always the right temperature, requires no preparation and is readily available even in settings with limited access to clean water and adequate hygiene.
  2. Breastfeeding decreases the risk of infection and disease, which is vital to survival in emergency settings.
    Breastmilk contains antibodies and other components that protect children against deadly infections. In emergencies, when there may be limited or no access to clean water and hygienic conditions, breastfeeding can drastically reduce the risk of diarrhea and other deadly diseases.
  3. Breastfeeding mothers need (even more!) support during emergencies.
    With adequate support almost all mothers can breastfeed, even in emergency situations. Support for mothers includes privacy and space, psychological counseling and assistance with attachment and positioning. Emergencies are stressful and may cause trauma for mothers, which leads to a need for even more support. For some mothers, breastfeeding can even help reduce stress.
  4. When breastfeeding is not possible, immediate support is necessary to explore feeding options and protect the health of vulnerable infants.
    The use of infant formula or powdered milk can pose significant health risks to babies in emergency situations where there may be limited or no access to clean water and hygienic conditions. They should only be provided when all other options have been explored. Non-breastfeeding mothers should receive immediate support from professionals to assist with safe feeding options, such as hand expression or cup feeding. Infant formula and powdered milk should not be donated but rather purchased as needed and administered carefully by professionals to minimize risk.
  5. Preparedness is key to ensure babies everywhere have the best opportunity to survive and thrive. Strengthening systems and capacities for breastfeeding support is a crucial form of emergency preparedness. Putting policies, programs and actions in place will provide support for mothers to breastfeed even when they are affected by an emergency.

In 2016 alone, at least 535 million children lived in countries affected by emergencies.

Emergencies pose a significant threat, causing child mortality rates to increase up to 70 times higher than average. Emergencies can happen anywhere, at any time—putting the world’s youngest children in an extremely vulnerable position.

During emergencies, the life-saving protection of breastfeeding is more important than ever. In emergency settings, breastfeeding guarantees a safe, nutritious and accessible food source for infants and young children and a protective shield against death and disease. But breastfeeding in emergencies is no small task—mothers face immense challenges, and we must provide support and put the rights, dignity and well-being of mothers at the center of our focus.

Unleashing A Woman’s Power to Breastfeed

As World Breastfeeding Week kicks off today, 1,000 Days Executive Director Lucy Sullivan published a new piece on Huffington Post to bring attention to the consequences of our collective failure to support women to breastfeed.

Women have the ability to improve the health and well-being of their children, their communities and the world because they have the ability to make milk, nature’s perfect nutrition for babies. Yet women in every corner of the world face too many barriers to start breastfeeding and continue breastfeeding successfully. This is our collective responsibility, for when we fail to support women to breastfeed, we all feel the consequences.

With targeted investments in the right policies and programs, we can save lives, improve health and build prosperity. For just $5 per baby, we could save 520,000 lives by simply ensuring that half of the world’s children are breastfed for the first 6 months of life.

This is a global call to action – for all of us. Together we can help unleash a woman’s power to breastfeed and her power to transform the world.

Read the “Breaking Breastfeeding Barriers” on Huffington Post.

Breastfeeding: A Collective Responsibility

Over 820,000 children die each year and millions more suffer from avoidable diseases and learning difficulties as a result of suboptimal breastfeeding practices. If even half of all babies under 6 months of age were exclusively breastfed, we would save hundreds of thousands of lives and help protect against breast cancer, ovarian cancer and diabetes in mothers across the globe.

Breastfeeding benefits all of us – and is up to all of us to give support to the millions of mothers who want to breastfeed but do not have the support they need.

This World Breastfeeding Week (August 1-7), 1,000 Days joins the World Health Organization and UNICEF to launch the Global Breastfeeding Collective – a partnership of 20 prominent international agencies and non-governmental organizations committed to increasing investment in breastfeeding worldwide. Smart investments are needed in programs and policies that enable more mothers to reach their personal breastfeeding goals.

We want children to thrive, and that means giving the millions of mothers who want to breastfeed the support they need. The Global Breastfeeding Collective will fight for a world in which mothers and families across the globe are empowered to breastfeed.

To elevate the importance of needing better policies and greater investments in programs that support breastfeeding, the Global Breastfeeding Collective also launched two new reports:

The Global Scorecard for Breastfeeding 

This new scorecard presents a daunting reality: No country in the world meets recommended standards for supporting breastfeeding. The scorecard evaluated 194 low-, middle-, and high-income countries on seven factors including financial investment, workplace protections, health care services, and community supports for breastfeeding and found most countries aren’t doing enough to protect the health and well-being of mothers and babies.

Click here to view the scorecard.

The Investment Case for Breastfeeding

A new investment case shows how investing in breastfeeding now will save lives, money, and lead to health and economic well-being worldwide for generations to come. The report reveals that in order to meet the World Health Assembly target of increasing the percentage of children under 6 months of age who are exclusively breastfed to at least 50% by 2025, an additional $5.7 billion is required. This investment translates to just $4.70 per newborn.

Click here to read the full report.

Greater progress in breastfeeding is possible. With the right level of ambition and the right policies and investment, countries can fully realize the potential gains from breastfeeding.

This World Breastfeeding Week, let’s remember: No one breastfeeds alone. Together, we can support women with better policies and investments, implementing solutions to get real results for children, families and entire nations.

If you are interested in receiving communications materials to help share these new reports and to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week please contact Amanda at amanda@thousanddays.org.

Why Support for Breastfeeding Moms Matters

The evidence is clear – breastfeeding saves lives. It protects babies from life-threatening infections and illnesses as well as conditions such as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)—one of the leading causes of infant deaths in the U.S.

Yet recent stories in the news and articles spreading through social media are telling a much different story—that breastfeeding is potentially dangerous and that the “pressure to breastfeed” is leading to babies getting sick or even, in some cases, dying. This is false and misleading.

The truth is that many of these tragic deaths are sadly caused by the lack of support moms receive in this country to breastfeed and properly care for their children. Simply put, we are failing our nation’s babies because we are failing our nation’s mothers.

In this post-truth world, it is more important than ever to set the record straight with facts and evidence.

That’s why I just published a new piece on Huffington Post on the tragic consequences of our nation’s lack of support and what we can do to help moms properly, confidently and successfully breastfeed their babies.

In our society, many moms have to balance their desire to breastfeed with a lack of support and resources to do so. Unfairly, breastfeeding moms are expected to be their baby’s sole source of nutrition while also working, running their household, and somehow finding time for rest and selfcare — all with little to no societal support.

1,000 Days will continue its work to ensure the facts about breastfeeding win-out over misinformation.