National Policies & Positions

CDC’s goal is to increase breastfeeding rates in the United States and to promote optimal breastfeeding practices. To meet this goal breastfeeding mothers need support. The 2011 Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding outlines six areas to focus support to increase breastfeeding: mothers and their families, communities, health care, employment, research and surveillance and public health infrastructure.
 

U.S. Government Breastfeeding Policies

Healthy People 2020, National Objectives on Breastfeeding
Healthy People 2020  is a national health promotion and disease prevention initiative that brings together national, state, and local government agencies; nonprofit, voluntary, and professional organizations, businesses, communities; and individuals to address major public health issues.

What major factors have influenced breastfeeding policy throughout the United States?

Within the Federal Government

• 1984 U.S. Surgeon General’s Workshop on Breastfeeding & Human Lactation
• 1990 Innocenti Declaration, WHO and UNICEF can be found at the UNICEF Web site.
• 2000 Healthy People 2010: Objectives for Improving Health
• 2000 HHS Blueprint for Action on Breastfeeding [PDF-820KB]
• 2010 Healthy People 2020, National Objectives on Breastfeeding
• 2011 Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding

Major Health Professional Organizations’ Policies and Positions on Breastfeeding Promotion

• American Academy of Family Physicians
• American Academy of Pediatrics
• American College of Nurse-Midwives [PDF-76KB]
• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
  • Optimizing Support for Breastfeeding as Part of Obstetric Practice [PDF – 116KB]
• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
• National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners [PDF-72KB]

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