Resources and Background for providing your input into the HP2020 health objectives
To read the testimony presented on behalf of USLCA on November 7, click HERE
To access the topic areas and proposed objectives for 2020 click HERE
The above site also allows you to provide both general comments and comments specific to each objective.
The breastfeeding objectives are contained in the topic area of Maternal, Infant, and Child Health. There are objectives retained from HP2010 and new objectives that have been proposed for HP2020. The breastfeeding objective to increase the proportion of mothers who breastfeed their babies has been retained from HP2010 (MICH HP2020-12). There are 3 new proposed objectives for HP2020 that were whittled down by the Federal Interagency Workgroup from what was originally proposed by the CDC.
MICH HP2020-26 Increase the percentage of employers who have worksite lactation programs
MICH HP2020-27 Decrease the percentage of breastfed newborns who receive formula supplementation within the first 2 days of life
MICH HP2020-28 Increase the percentage of live births that occur in facilities that provide recommended care for lactating mothers and their babies
The objectives that were eliminated include:
1. Increase the number of states that have legislation mandating worksite accommodation of breastfeeding
2. Improve practices at hospitals and birth centers to better support breastfeeding
- Increase the percent of hospitals and birth centers that almost always put mothers and babies skin-to-skin following delivery
- Increase the percent of hospitals and birth centers that almost always start breastfeeding immediately after birth
- Increase the percent of hospitals and birth centers that almost always have mothers and infants room together after birth
- Increase the percent of hospitals and birth centers that do not distribute gift packs that market infant formula
3. Increase the percent of live births that occur in facilities designated as Baby Friendly
Actions
You may wish to ask to have the above objectives reinstated. You may wish to comment on the proposed objectives or you may wish to propose other breastfeeding objectives. For example you may wish to propose objectives such as:
Increase the percentage of insurers (including Medicaid) that reimburse for lactation care and services provided by international board certified lactation consultants (IBCLC)
Increase the support of breastfeeding from the medical community
Decrease the number of hospitals that pose a conflict of interest due to marketing agreements with infant formula manufacturers
Increase the percentage of hospitals and birth centers with the recommended ratio of patients to IBCLCs (or increase the number of IBCLCs in hospitals)
You may find that breastfeeding would also fit under other topic areas besides Maternal, Infant and Child Health. For example, under the topic area Educational and Community- Based Programs you may wish to add an objective to HP2020-10 asking that core competency in lactation management be added to schools that train nurses, physicians, and allied health providers.
If you propose new objectives try to include data sources for each. A data source is where the government would go to secure the data for tracking the objective, for example the CDC Breastfeeding Report Card is a data source. Include references to validate the importance of the objective. You might wish to tell a story from your experience and professional practice to illustrate what happens when the particular objective is not met.
Remember that December 31, 2009 is the last day to provide your input. Let’s make sure that the Federal government hears from us as a valued and valuable resource to improve the quality of health in this country.
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