A big thank you to Marsha Walker, who combed through the just released report from the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity and found recommendations related to breastfeeding. This report is part of the "Let's Move" initiative to combat childhood obesity headed by First Lady Michelle Obama. The recommendations are shown below.
This comes on the heels of a new study finding (again) that breastfed babies have better ability to regulate their intake - one of the theories about why breastfed babies are less likely to be overweight and obese.
According to Marsha, the report contains 70 specific recommendations, with a significant section on breastfeeding as an obesity preventive measure:
Recommendation 1.3: Hospitals and health care providers should use maternity care practices that empower new mothers to breastfeed, such as the Baby-Friendly hospital standards.
Recommendation 1.4: Health care providers and insurance companies should provide information to pregnant women and new mothers on breastfeeding, including the availability of educational classes, and connect pregnant women and new mothers to breastfeeding support programs to help them make an informed infant feeding decision.
Recommendation 1.5: Local health departments and community-based organizations, working with health care providers, insurance companies, and others should develop peer support programs that empower pregnant women and mothers to get the help and support they need from other mothers who have breastfed.
Recommendation 1.6: Early childhood settings should support breastfeeding.
Want to get email updates from the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog? Subscribe here. Want an RSS feed? Subscribe here. Want to subscribe to our breastfeeding podcasts on iTunes? Click here.
