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Senate Concurrent Resolution 6 - Introduced
A Concurrent Resolution 1recognizing the work of the
2Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa.
3WHEREAS, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
4recommends that infants be exclusively breastfed for
5approximately the first six months following birth and
6that infants should continue to be breastfed, along
7with the introduction of appropriate complementary
8foods, for one year or longer;and
9WHEREAS, according to the AAP, human milk feeding
10decreases the incidence or severity of a wide range of
11infectious diseases including bacterial meningitis,
12diarrhea, respiratory tract infections, and urinary
13tract infections, and results in a lower incidence
14of the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, Type
151 and Type 2 diabetes, overweight and obesity, and
16asthma;and
17WHEREAS, according to the Centers for Disease
18Control and Prevention of the United States Department
19of Health and Human Services (CDC) 2010 Breastfeeding
20Report Card, approximately 75 percent of mothers in the
21United States start out breastfeeding, but at the end
22of six months the rates fall to 43 percent, and among
23African-American mothers the rates are significantly
24lower as only 58 percent of African-American mothers
25start out breastfeeding and only 28 percent are
26breastfeeding at six months;and
27WHEREAS, according to the CDC, in the United States
-1-1infants in rural areas are less likely to ever be
2breastfed than infants living in urban areas;and
3WHEREAS, according to the CDC, infants eligible
4for and receiving the Special Supplemental Nutrition
5Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) are less
6likely to ever be breastfed than infants eligible but
7not receiving WIC and infants ineligible for WIC;and
8WHEREAS, according to the CDC, younger mothers 20 to
929 years of age are less likely to ever breastfeed than
10mothers 30 years of age or older;and
11WHEREAS, while breastfeeding has many benefits,
12some women struggle, with 60 percent of mothers unable
13to breastfeed for as long as they intend to due to
14factors including issues with lactation and latching,
15concerns about infant nutrition and weight, mother’s
16concerns about taking medications while breastfeeding,
17unsupportive work policies and lack of parental leave,
18cultural norms or lack of family support, and hospital
19practices and policies;and
20WHEREAS, for those women who are faced with
21obstacles to breastfeeding or providing breast milk
22to their infants, it is important to provide an
23encouraging environment and options;and
24WHEREAS, one option for caregivers facing obstacles
25to providing breast milk to infants is through a milk
26bank;and
27WHEREAS, the Human Milk Banking Association of
28North America, which accredits nonprofit milk banks in
29the United States and Canada, has 27 members, ensures
30that the process of helping mothers donate their extra
-2-1breast milk is evidence-based and clinically sound, and
2advocates for donor milk as a universal standard of
3care, regardless of ability to pay;and
4WHEREAS, the Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa operates
5in accordance with the Human Milk Banking Association
6of North America guidelines for the establishment and
7operation of a donor human milk bank;and
8WHEREAS, the Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa was launched
9in August 2002 during World Breastfeeding Week,
10co-founded by Jean Drulis and Ekhard Ziegler, M.D.,
11with funds generated from grants, foundations, and
12gifts;and
13WHEREAS, the mission of the Mother’s Milk Bank of
14Iowa is to improve the health of infants across the
15United States by providing pasteurized donor human milk
16to families and hospitals;and
17WHEREAS, approximately 20 percent of the milk
18collected by the Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa is used at
19the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital
20to feed infants at the hospital, many of whom are born
21prematurely or are battling other medical conditions,
22and 80 percent of the milk collected is distributed to
23families and other hospitals;and
24WHEREAS, as of 2017, 1,590 donors had contributed to
25the Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa and the donated milk had
26reached infants in 14 states and 39 hospitals across
27the midwest, and in 2016 alone 187,623 ounces of breast
28milk were distributed to infants in both inpatient and
29outpatient settings, reaching infants in 13 states, 87
30cities, and 40 hospitals, 13 of those hospitals being
-3-1located in Iowa;NOW THEREFORE,
2BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, THE HOUSE OF
3REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING, That the Mother’s Milk
4Bank of Iowa is recognized for its critical role in
5supplying breast milk and its benefits to infants both
6in this state and throughout the United States.
-4-pf/rh
A Concurrent Resolution 1recognizing the work of the
2Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa.
3WHEREAS, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
4recommends that infants be exclusively breastfed for
5approximately the first six months following birth and
6that infants should continue to be breastfed, along
7with the introduction of appropriate complementary
8foods, for one year or longer;and
9WHEREAS, according to the AAP, human milk feeding
10decreases the incidence or severity of a wide range of
11infectious diseases including bacterial meningitis,
12diarrhea, respiratory tract infections, and urinary
13tract infections, and results in a lower incidence
14of the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, Type
151 and Type 2 diabetes, overweight and obesity, and
16asthma;and
17WHEREAS, according to the Centers for Disease
18Control and Prevention of the United States Department
19of Health and Human Services (CDC) 2010 Breastfeeding
20Report Card, approximately 75 percent of mothers in the
21United States start out breastfeeding, but at the end
22of six months the rates fall to 43 percent, and among
23African-American mothers the rates are significantly
24lower as only 58 percent of African-American mothers
25start out breastfeeding and only 28 percent are
26breastfeeding at six months;and
27WHEREAS, according to the CDC, in the United States
-1-1infants in rural areas are less likely to ever be
2breastfed than infants living in urban areas;and
3WHEREAS, according to the CDC, infants eligible
4for and receiving the Special Supplemental Nutrition
5Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) are less
6likely to ever be breastfed than infants eligible but
7not receiving WIC and infants ineligible for WIC;and
8WHEREAS, according to the CDC, younger mothers 20 to
929 years of age are less likely to ever breastfeed than
10mothers 30 years of age or older;and
11WHEREAS, while breastfeeding has many benefits,
12some women struggle, with 60 percent of mothers unable
13to breastfeed for as long as they intend to due to
14factors including issues with lactation and latching,
15concerns about infant nutrition and weight, mother’s
16concerns about taking medications while breastfeeding,
17unsupportive work policies and lack of parental leave,
18cultural norms or lack of family support, and hospital
19practices and policies;and
20WHEREAS, for those women who are faced with
21obstacles to breastfeeding or providing breast milk
22to their infants, it is important to provide an
23encouraging environment and options;and
24WHEREAS, one option for caregivers facing obstacles
25to providing breast milk to infants is through a milk
26bank;and
27WHEREAS, the Human Milk Banking Association of
28North America, which accredits nonprofit milk banks in
29the United States and Canada, has 27 members, ensures
30that the process of helping mothers donate their extra
-2-1breast milk is evidence-based and clinically sound, and
2advocates for donor milk as a universal standard of
3care, regardless of ability to pay;and
4WHEREAS, the Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa operates
5in accordance with the Human Milk Banking Association
6of North America guidelines for the establishment and
7operation of a donor human milk bank;and
8WHEREAS, the Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa was launched
9in August 2002 during World Breastfeeding Week,
10co-founded by Jean Drulis and Ekhard Ziegler, M.D.,
11with funds generated from grants, foundations, and
12gifts;and
13WHEREAS, the mission of the Mother’s Milk Bank of
14Iowa is to improve the health of infants across the
15United States by providing pasteurized donor human milk
16to families and hospitals;and
17WHEREAS, approximately 20 percent of the milk
18collected by the Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa is used at
19the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital
20to feed infants at the hospital, many of whom are born
21prematurely or are battling other medical conditions,
22and 80 percent of the milk collected is distributed to
23families and other hospitals;and
24WHEREAS, as of 2017, 1,590 donors had contributed to
25the Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa and the donated milk had
26reached infants in 14 states and 39 hospitals across
27the midwest, and in 2016 alone 187,623 ounces of breast
28milk were distributed to infants in both inpatient and
29outpatient settings, reaching infants in 13 states, 87
30cities, and 40 hospitals, 13 of those hospitals being
-3-1located in Iowa;NOW THEREFORE,
2BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE, THE HOUSE OF
3REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING, That the Mother’s Milk
4Bank of Iowa is recognized for its critical role in
5supplying breast milk and its benefits to infants both
6in this state and throughout the United States.
-4-pf/rh