State Opportunities and Strategies for Breastfeeding Promotion through the Affordable Care Act

Breastfeeding promotion is currently a significant focus of national health policy, including the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding and the U.S. Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative.  Moreover, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) provides states and communities additional opportunities to strengthen breastfeeding support.  

State MCH programs promote breastfeeding by developing educational materials for new mothers and providing information about breastfeeding resources  through websites and toll-free information lines. Many of these activities are coordinated, or conducted in partnership with other programs such as state health department divisions of chronic disease and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Additionally, many state MCH programs often incorporate improving breastfeeding rates into their statewide initiatives to reduce obesity. State MCH programs also work with policymakers, employers, hospitals and other partners to adopt breastfeeding friendly policies in hospitals and the workplace.

Given their expertise and the scope of public health programs that they oversee, state Title V MCH programs, WIC, and state divisions of chronic disease are well positioned to play a key role in promoting and enhancing breastfeeding by using the new tools and resources provided by the ACA. AMCHP developed an issue brief to explore how states and communities can capitalize on the opportunities presented by the ACA to advance breastfeeding.  In particular, it examines state partnerships; financing of breastfeeding support and counseling services; promoting worksite accommodations; and utilizing the Maternal, Infant and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program to improve referral and tracking. This session will outline these state strategies.