The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 800,000 lives1 could be saved if every child were breastfed within one hour of birth in addition to exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life and continued breastfeeding till two years of age. According to the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), breastmilk is considered the optimal source of nutrition for infant’s health, growth and immunity.2 Moreover, the American Academy of Pediatrics states that breastfeeding protects against allergies, gastrointestinal diseases, ear infections, respiratory illness, asthma, eczema, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).3 Other benefits include a fifteen to thirty percent reduction of adolescent and adult obesity in breastfed infants.3 …show more content…
This means in twenty-one states breastfeeding mothers are not exempt from indecency laws. Similarly, only seventeen states either exempt mothers from jury duty or allow it to be postponed. Second, laws that give the mom the right to take breaks to express milk should also be enforced in all states. By using nationally recognized breastfeeding laws applied to every state, it would eliminate interstate discrepancies and support breastfeeding. In addition, all fifty states should implement laws which promote and provide supplies and assistance to breastfeeding in hospitals. For instance, all hospitals should have knowledgeable and trained staff to assist mothers in breastfeeding. Although, many hospitals provide mothers with formula samples, hospitals should have breastfeeding friendly policies which regulate the promotion of infant formula. Because many mothers may not have a breast pumps, hospitals should have an inventory of breast pumps and breastfeeding supplies available for new mothers to use. In addition, more hospitals should implement policies which restrict the promotion and advertisement of infant formula and provide prenatal women with breastfeeding classes. Offering free breastfeeding education classes to prenatal women is another policy that should be …show more content…
Stuebe A. The Risks of Not Breastfeeding for Mothers and Infants. Reviews in Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2009;2(4): 222-231.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2812877/. Accessed October 27, 2015.
5. What are the recommendations for breastfeeding. Eunice Kennedy Shriver Institute of Child Health and Human Development. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/breastfeeding/conditioninfo/Pages/recommendations.aspx Published December 19, 2013. Accessed October 27, 2015.
6. Breastfeeding Report Card United States 2014. National Council for Chronic Disease Prevention and Promotion. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/pdf/2014breastfeedingreportcard.pdf Published July 2014. Accessed October 27, 2015.
7. Breastfeeding State Laws. National Council of State Legislatures. http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/breastfeeding-state-laws.aspx. Published September 2, 2015. Accessed October 27, 2015.
8. Eidelman A, Schanler R. Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk. American Academy of Pediatrics. 2012; 129 (3): 827-841. http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/129/3/e827.full#content-block Accessed October 27,