Surgeon General's Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding

On January 20, 2011, Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin, MD, MBA issued a ‘Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding’, outlining steps that can be taken to remove some of the obstacles faced by women who want to breastfeed their babies. “Many barriers exist for mothers who want to breastfeed,” Dr. Benjamin said. “They shouldn’t have to go it alone. Whether you’re a clinician, a family member, a friend, or an employer, you can play an important part in helping mothers who want to breastfeed.” While 75 percent of U.S. babies start out breastfeeding, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says, only 13 percent are exclusively breastfed for the recommended six months.(Source: www.hhs.gov)

“I believe that we as a nation are beginning to see a shift in how we think and talk about breastfeeding,” said Dr. Benjamin.  “With this ‘Call to Action,’ I am urging everyone to help make breastfeeding easier.” For more information on the Call to Action, visit www.surgeongeneral.gov.

The document includes action steps and implementation strategies for six major sectors of society:

•    Mothers and their Families: Emphasizes the need to educate and inform families about the importance of breastfeeding, and provide the ongoing support mothers need to continue.

•    Communities: Calls upon the entire community to support breastfeeding mothers, including the provision of peer counseling support, promotion of breastfeeding through community-based organizations and traditional and new media venues, and the removal of commercial barriers to breastfeeding.

•    Health Care: Urges the health care system to adopt evidence-based practices as outlined in the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, provide health professionals with education and training, ensure access to skilled, professional lactation care services, and increase the availability of banked donor milk

•    Employment: Calls for paid maternity leave and worksite and child care accommodations that support women when they return to work.

•    Research and Surveillance: Emphasizes the need for additional research, especially regarding the most effective ways to address disparities and measure the economic impact of breastfeeding, and calls for a national monitoring system.
•    Public Health Infrastructure: Calls for enhanced national leadership, including creation of a federal interagency work group, and increasing the capacity of the United States Breastfeeding Committee and affiliated state coalitions.