SCR 6 (LSB 2003SV (2) 88)

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 6

BY  COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RESOURCES

(SUCCESSOR TO SCR 2)

A Concurrent Resolution recognizing the work of the Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa.

   WHEREAS, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that infants be exclusively breastfed for approximately the first six months following birth and that infants should continue to be breastfed, along with the introduction of appropriate complementary foods, for one year or longer; and
   WHEREAS, according to the AAP, human milk feeding decreases the incidence or severity of a wide range of infectious diseases including bacterial meningitis, diarrhea, respiratory tract infections, and urinary tract infections, and results in a lower incidence of the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, overweight and obesity, and asthma; and
   WHEREAS, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (CDC) 2010 Breastfeeding Report Card, approximately 75 percent of mothers in the United States start out breastfeeding, but at the end of six months the rates fall to 43 percent, and among African-American mothers the rates are significantly lower as only 58 percent of African-American mothers start out breastfeeding and only 28 percent are breastfeeding at six months; and
   WHEREAS, according to the CDC, in the United States infants in rural areas are less likely to ever be breastfed than infants living in urban areas; and
   WHEREAS, according to the CDC, infants eligible for and receiving the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) are less likely to ever be breastfed than infants eligible but not receiving WIC and infants ineligible for WIC; and
   WHEREAS, according to the CDC, younger mothers 20 to 29 years of age are less likely to ever breastfeed than mothers 30 years of age or older; and
   WHEREAS, while breastfeeding has many benefits, some women struggle, with 60 percent of mothers unable to breastfeed for as long as they intend to due to factors including issues with lactation and latching, concerns about infant nutrition and weight, mother’s concerns about taking medications while breastfeeding, unsupportive work policies and lack of parental leave, cultural norms or lack of family support, and hospital practices and policies; and
   WHEREAS, for those women who are faced with obstacles to breastfeeding or providing breast milk to their infants, it is important to provide an encouraging environment and options; and
   WHEREAS, one option for caregivers facing obstacles to providing breast milk to infants is through a milk bank; and
   WHEREAS, the Human Milk Banking Association of North America, which accredits nonprofit milk banks in the United States and Canada, has 27 members, ensures that the process of helping mothers donate their extra breast milk is evidence-based and clinically sound, and advocates for donor milk as a universal standard of care, regardless of ability to pay; and
   WHEREAS, the Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa operates in accordance with the Human Milk Banking Association of North America guidelines for the establishment and operation of a donor human milk bank; and
   WHEREAS, the Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa was launched in August 2002 during World Breastfeeding Week, co-founded by Jean Drulis and Ekhard Ziegler, M.D., with funds generated from grants, foundations, and gifts; and
   WHEREAS, the mission of the Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa is to improve the health of infants across the United States by providing pasteurized donor human milk to families and hospitals; and
   WHEREAS, approximately 20 percent of the milk collected by the Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa is used at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital to feed infants at the hospital, many of whom are born prematurely or are battling other medical conditions, and 80 percent of the milk collected is distributed to families and other hospitals; and
   WHEREAS, as of 2017, 1,590 donors had contributed to the Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa and the donated milk had reached infants in 14 states and 39 hospitals across the midwest, and in 2016 alone 187,623 ounces of breast milk were distributed to infants in both inpatient and outpatient settings, reaching infants in 13 states, 87 cities, and 40 hospitals, 13 of those hospitals being located in Iowa; NOW THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING, That the Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa is recognized for its critical role in supplying breast milk and its benefits to infants both in this state and throughout the United States.