Another year is ending (my fourth writing this blog!) and it's time to summarize the big events in the breastfeeding world this year. If I've forgotten something please leave a comment letting me know!
If you're feeling nostalgic, here are my summaries from 2009, 2008, 2007 and 2006.
Health care reform gives most moms workplace lactation accommodation - A little noticed provision of the gigantic federal health care reform law gave most mothers the right to pump in their workplace and the space to do it. It will take a while for employers to catch up with this requirement, but it was a huge step forward. Another provision requires private insurers to pay for breastfeeding support in some cases, though it's not clear how this will be implemented. The IRS wasn't quite as friendly, denying flexible spending account holders from using their tax sheltered funds to pay for breastpumps.
Eats on Feets enables mother-to-mother milk sharing through Facebook. Sparking lots of discussion - from cheers of support to an FDA warning - a network called Eats on Feets began spreading across Facebook, enabling moms to connect and share milk.
CDC supports the WHO growth charts. The CDC and the AAP voiced its support for the WHO growth charts which are based on the norm of the exclusively breastfed baby. As pediatricians begin adopting the charts, fewer exclusively breastfed babies should be seen as faltering in growth after the 3rd or 4th month.
Study shows increasing breastfeeding rates could save $13 billion, save 900 lives annually - A analysis co-authored by Dr. Melissa Bartick found that increasing breastfeeding initiation and exclusivity rates could save the U.S. billions and save nearly a thousand lives annually. Unrelated but important
Michelle Obama became a champion of breastfeeding, noting that it is an important piece of the fight against childhood obesity, and that disparities persist between African American and other moms.
Study shows medication can halt 99% of mother-to-child HIV transmission in developing world. Mother-to-child transmission of HIV through breastfeeding is a major cause of new infections in the developing world, and research from Botswana showed that use of antiretroviral drugs can prevent over 99% of these infections.
Formula company sells human milk product - This one might not seem that significant, but it certainly raised a lot of eyebrows. Prolacta, maker of a human milk fortifier for preterm infants that is actually made with human milk, announced that its fortifier would be sold by Abbot Nutrition.
Medication and breastfeeding information now free to all - The Infant Risk Center began providing information on medications and breastfeeding previously available only to those who owned a copy of Medications and Mothers Milk.
Breastmilk donations for Haiti - There was a lot of confusion over the donation of breastmilk to Haiti following the country's disastrous earthquake. First there was a call for donations, and then a call to stop sending donations. Either way, it did focus our attention on the importance of breastfeeding in emergencies.
Formula company launches a 'feeding expert hotline,' and test calls suggest that some of the advice it was dispensing was dangerous to breastfeeding. Their ads on Babble also caused a stir.
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