During the 2007 APHA Annual Meeting, the Association adopted a new, comprehensive breastfeeding policy entitled, “A Call to Action on Breastfeeding: A Fundamental Public Health Issue.”  The policy was jointly submitted by the Maternal and Child Health, International Health, and Food and Nutrition Sections.  The breastfeeding policy supports early and exclusive breastfeeding for six months, and continued to up to 2 years of age or longer.  APHA joins all major health officials in recommending that infants receive no other food or drink besides breast milk for the first six months of life, with continued breastfeeding for at least one to two years thereafter, with rare exceptions.  APHA encourages policy-makers to provide adequate funding for breastfeeding support in the United States and foreign countries.  It also supports legislation that enables women in the United States to succeed in breastfeeding, including protection for breastfeeding in the public, paid maternity leave and worksite lactation protection.

Breastfeeding Policy Co-authors from left to right (Lissa Ong, FN; Melissa Bartick, MCH; Miriam Labbok, IH)