With funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation the Honorable Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY) and other leaders in health care and health policy met in Washington, D.C. June 11-12th for the 1st Annual Summit on Breastfeeding, “First Food: The Essential Role of Breastfeeding,” to develop recommendations for a national breastfeeding agenda under the new administration’s health reform plan.
Gail Christopher, vice president for programs at the Foundation was among the first to speak about what must be done to increase breastfeeding initiation, duration, and exclusivity, especially among underserved populations.
The Summit marked the 25th anniversary of the Surgeon General’s Workshop on Breastfeeding and Human Lactation. Approximately 100 researchers, clinicians, corporate decision makers, and policymakers gathered to address breastfeeding disparities and the cultural, social, and workplace barriers to promoting breastfeeding as a cost-effective, easily accessible, low-tech solution to disease prevention for mothers and their children.
