HR0419 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0419 LRB098 12214 MST 46297 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Scientific research demonstrates that good nutrition beginning in utero and extending throughout the first year of life is critical to the healthy growth and development of infants and that breastfeeding is the best form of infant nutrition by providing certain health benefits for both the mother and child; and

WHEREAS, The United States Surgeon General and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend babies be exclusively fed with breast milk for the first 6 months of life, and continue on with breast milk through the first year of life; and

WHEREAS, Healthy People 2020, an initiative that comprises science-based, ten-year national objectives to improve the health of all Americans, administered under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, aims to increase the percentage of women initiating breastfeeding to 81.9% and still continuing to breastfeed when their newborn is 6 months of age to 60.6%; and

WHEREAS, It is a mother's choice in how she feeds her baby, and the choice is often made based on the best feeding option for her infant given her and her family's life circumstance, including familial, cultural, and community issues as well as based on barriers to breastfeeding, including returning to work, medical difficulties, and lack of breastfeeding support; and

WHEREAS, The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and other public health organizations do promote breastfeeding goals, and some go beyond this to promote other dietary guidance for feeding an infant under age 2 or identify what a mother should do if she cannot or chooses not to breastfeed, or needs to supplement breastfeeding; and

WHEREAS, An example of this is provided in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food & Nutrition Service publication, "Feeding Your Baby in the first Year", which gives participants in the Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) food program a basic overview of the best sources of nutrition for their babies in the first year, starting with breastfeeding, including infant formula if needed, following with the introduction of solid foods; and

WHEREAS, Infant nutrition research has generated a range of iron-fortified infant formulas (as well as specialized infant formulas for premature babies and for those babies with medical conditions needing sustenance to survive and thrive) that address a critical need in providing a safe and nutritious alternative to breast milk for mothers who are unable to breastfeed; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we acknowledge the role of optimal infant nutrition during the first year of life and that new mothers require information, guidance, and support to provide the best nutritional start for their babies; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we recognize the scientific research documenting that breastfeeding is the best form of infant nutrition and supports breastfeeding promotion policies; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we aspire for mothers to make informed choices about how to feed their infants by requiring that mothers receive, prior to and/or after birth, complete and balanced information on all infant nutrition options; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we call on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to publish and distribute maternal and infant nutrition information approved by the U.S. Surgeon General to mothers prior to and after birth; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge state health departments to facilitate public-private collaboration with families and communities to increase maternal and infant nutrition awareness, particularly in underserved areas, and provide access to nutritional programs for mothers and their children beginning in utero and throughout their first year of life; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Vice-President of the United States, members of the Illinois Delegation of the U.S. House of Representatives, Illinois Senators Richard J. Durbin and Mark Kirk, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the United States Surgeon General, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and other federal and state government officials as appropriate.