Academy of
Breastfeeding Medicine

dedicated to the promotion, protection and
support of breastfeeding and human lactation

Press Release


  • 6/14/2010
    Health Policy Leaders Prioritize Breastfeeding at 2nd Annual Summit on Breastfeeding
    One hundred key health and policy leaders will meet in Washington, D.C. on June 16-17 to identify targeted strategies for establishing a national breastfeeding agenda as part of our nation's Health Reform, building on the essential recommendations and positive outcomes of the First Annual Summit held last June. View story.

  • 5/13/2010
    2nd Annual Summit on Breastfeeding, June 16-17, 2010: U.S. Surgeon General Joins Key Health and Policy Leaders To Assess Progress in Establishing a National Breastfeeding Agenda
    Key leaders in health and public policy representing government, academia, industry, and grassroots programs will convene for the 2nd Annual Summit on Breastfeeding, "First Food: The Essential Role of Breastfeeding" in Washington, DC on June 16-17, 2010. The Summit will address the unmet health needs of underserved mothers and their vulnerable children associated with low rates of breastfeeding, and work proactively toward reducing barriers to breastfeeding. View story.

  • 4/12/2010
    Preference for Formula Feeding Plays Key Role in Lower Breastfeeding Rates for African-American Women in the U.S.
    African-American women have the lowest breastfeeding rate among the major racial/ethnic groups in the United States, and this may be explained mainly by their comfort level with formula feeding rather than any aversion to breastfeeding, according to a new study published in Breastfeeding Medicine , the Official Journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. View story.

  • 3/19/2010
    CPSC warning on slings misses the mark
    The Consumer Products Safety Commission's warning on baby slings provides vague and misleading information for parents. The popularity of slings has increased tremendously in recent years, as more and more mothers report that slings facilitate parenting and breastfeeding on demand. "All slings are not created equal," says Arthur Eidelman, MD, vice president of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine. "Unfortunately, however, the CPSC issued a blanket warning about all types of sling carriers." View story.

  • 1/13/2010
    ABM Reacts to Misleading Breastfeeding Study
    Reporters are parroting a press release from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology that begins, “Feeling guilty that you didn’t breastfeed your children enough – or at all? Relax. New research shows that breast milk is not as important for either the mother or the child's health.” View story.

  • 8/3/2009
    ABM Board Member Featured on National Spanish-Speaking Broadcast to Promote the Benefits of Breastfeeding
    The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine will be reaching out to the Spanish-speaking community to promote the benefits of breastfeeding. HITN-TV, the nation’s largest holder of educational broadband service for the Hispanic population reaching 30 million households, will broadcast a program about breastfeeding issues featuring Academy Board Member Ana M. Parrilla-Rodríguez, MD, University of Puerto Rico, live to the US, Mexico, and Canada on August 4th, from 12-1 pm, Eastern Time. Following the broadcast, the tape will be available on the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine’s website. View story.

  • 7/2/2009
    Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Responds to Fox News Statement on Breastfeeding while Intoxicated
    In a Fox News Broadcast Sunday, June 28, 2009, Dr. Svetlana Kogan advises that even minimal consumption of alcohol by a breastfeeding mother can have serious adverse effects on her infant, including liver and brain damage. She recommends that a mother wait a full day after consuming any alcoholic beverages before breastfeeding her infant. View story.

  • 5/29/2009
    1st Summit on Breastfeeding Attracts Health Policy Officials to Hear Experts, and Leaders from Foundations, Nonprofits and Business
    New Rochelle, NY, May 29, 2009? The Honorable Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand and other leaders in health care and health policy will meet in Washington, D.C. on June 11-12 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. View story.

  • 5/12/2009
    Breastfeeding / Swine Flu Recommendations for Physicians from the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine
    Breastfeeding can limit the severity of respiratory infections in infants and is particularly important for minimizing the risk and effects of infection during an influenza outbreak, such as the current H1N1 influenza virus (also known as the “swine flu”) outbreak, according to recommendations released by the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM). View story.

  • 4/27/2009
    1st Annual Summit on Breastfeeding, June 2009, Will Mark 25th Anniversary of Surgeon General’s Workshop on Breastfeeding and Human Lactation
    New Rochelle, NY, April 27, 2009—Experts in maternal and infant health and health policy leaders from the Obama Administration will present timely information and recommendations for new policy initiatives to support a national breastfeeding agenda at the 1st Annual Summit on Breastfeeding, to take place June 11-12, in Washington, D.C. The Summit, "First Food: The Essential Role of Breastfeeding," is being presented by the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, and its official peer-reviewed journal, Breastfeeding Medicine, published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (www.liebertpub.com/bfm) and supported by a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The proceedings and recommendations emanating from the Summit will be published in Breastfeeding Medicine this fall. View story.

  • 3/19/2009
    Strong Evidence Base for Benefits of Breastfeeding, According to Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine
    New Rochelle, NY, March 19, 2009—Breastfeeding offers irrefutable and long-lasting health benefits for both mother and baby, which are supported by a comprehensive body of scientific research, including original articles and reviews such as those in Breastfeeding Medicine, the peer-reviewed journal of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) The Academy is a global organization of physicians dedicated to the promotion, protection and support of breastfeeding through education, research, and advocacy (www.bfmed.org) View story.

  • 2/5/2009
    Breastfeeding Guidelines Now Available on Government Website
    New Rochelle, NY, February 5, 2009—The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine’s (ABM) clinical protocols for the care of breastfeeding mothers and infants are now readily available for physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals on the National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC) website. NGC, an initiative of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the federal agency responsible for improving the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of healthcare, offers providers a comprehensive database of clinical practice guidelines covering a wide range of diseases and conditions, from “animal diseases” to “viral diseases.” Essentially these guidelines serve as generally accepted prescriptions to assist providers in the delivery of healthcare. View story.

  • 1/26/2009
    ABM 14th Annual International Meeting to be held in Williamsburg, VA
    New Rochelle, NY, January 26, 2009—The 14th Annual International Meeting of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) (www.bfmed.org) will take place in Williamsburg, Virginia from November 6-8, 2009. The meeting titled “Breastfeeding: Lessons from History, Implications for Tomorrow,” will include world-class speakers providing key research on current and critical issues in breastfeeding medicine. ABM speakers are among leaders of clinical medicine and research in the world of breastfeeding and human lactation. The meeting will focus on the most authoritative and up-to-date clinical information on breastfeeding, spanning both maternal and child health issues. A significant educational opportunity, the ABM Annual International Meeting is an ideal context for physicians, and other healthcare providers to continue their professional education in a highly respected stimulating environment, while earning continuing education credits. This year’s meeting will also include the updated one-day breastfeeding medicine course, “What Every Physician Needs To Know About Breastfeeding” on November 5, 2009. View story.

  • 1/12/2009
    Facebook Flack Regarding Breastfeeding Mothers
    New Rochelle, NY, January 12, 2009—The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine feels that the social networking website, Facebook, would be well advised to review its policy banning photographs of breastfeeding mothers. Such a policy perpetuates the notion that breastfeeding is an unseemly bodily function best kept from public viewing, a misguided and antiquated concept that has no place in contemporary society. It further perpetuates the idea that formula feeding is normative when breastfeeding is, and should be considered, normative infant and young child feeding. Health professionals widely acknowledge that breastfeeding is biologically unique and appropriate for the mother and infant. View story.

  • 9/25/2008
    Thousands of Infants in China Sickened by Contaminated Formula
    The number of infants in China who have fallen ill as a result of formula tainted by melamine, has reached 53,000 and is responsible for the deaths of at least three infants. (New York Times, September 24, 2008) View story.

  • 8/29/2008
    Letter to New York Times regarding Vitamin D Deficiency
    ABM's Response to New York Times article, "Vitamin D Deficiency May Lurk in Babies": It is clear that vitamin D content of human milk is variable and directly related to maternal vitamin D status. Human milk is not deficient in vitamin D per se; rather, it is deficient in vitamin D when mother is deficient. Vitamin D transfer into mothers’ milk is predictable: a deficient woman has little to transfer to her infant via her milk; if her status improves, transfer of vitamin D in her milk to the baby will also. Maternal vitamin D deficiency and resultant nutritional rickets in her nursing infant is preventable: supplementation of the infant with vitamin D will ameliorate deficiency in that age group, but does not address maternal needs..Adverse effects associated with vitamin D deficiency affect bone development and innate immunity such that no woman and her baby should be deficient. We must prescribe a safe intervention that will achieve sufficiency in both mother and infant and not blame human milk as the culprit, but rather, see the problem as the larger public health issue that it is. View story.

  • 7/31/2008
    Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. Provides Complimentary Online Access to Breastfeeding Medicine for the Month of August for World Breastfeeding Week
    New Rochelle, NY, July 31, 2008—In Recognition of World Breastfeeding Week, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. (www.liebertpub.com) will provide free online access to Breastfeeding Medicine for the entire month of August. Breastfeeding Medicine, a MEDLINE journal, is the official publication of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, is an international peer-reviewed medical journal providing physicians with the evidence-based information they need to further educate themselves, their hospital staff, and patients on all aspects of breastfeeding to ensure optimal care for both mother and infant. All published issues are available free online at www.liebertpub.com/bfm View story.

  • 4/1/2008
    ABM Response to NPR Broadcast regarding breastfeeding benefits in question
    ABM ADVOCACY COMMITTEE RESPONSE TO NPR BROADCAST: The broadcasting of Study Puts Breastfeeding Benefits in Question on NPR (April 1, 2008) has resulted in the dissemination of faulty information that ill suits the health care interests of its listening audience. The broadcast is based upon a study from Belarus, the results of which failed to demonstrate a favorable long-term beneficial effect of a hospital-based breastfeeding promotional initiative on childhood behavior or the quality of maternal feelings toward child and family. On the basis of this study, Dr. Sydney Spiesel suggests that it is “hard to find the powerful benefit (from breastfeeding) that people are claiming.” A hard look at the data, however, fails to justify such a conclusion. View story.

  • 2/29/2008
    ABM President, Caroline Chantry's Letter to New York Times regarding WIC
    Response to New York Times editorial, “Rethinking Help for Children,” February 29, 2008: For many years, the funding of WIC has not kept pace with the increasing needs of the population. When WIC began in 1974, there were only 88,000 participants. WIC now provides nutritional supplements for eight million people every day, clearly demonstrating an ongoing need. View story.

  • 10/22/2007
    Ruth Lawrence's Eradication of Poverty
    New Rochelle, NY, October 22, 2007—A provocative editorial on “The Eradication of Poverty One Child At A Time Through Breastfeeding” in Breastfeeding Medicine by Ruth Lawrence, MD, Editor-in-Chief, is a contribution to the Global Theme Issue on Poverty and Human Development, a special worldwide publishing event on October 22, 2007 to raise awareness and stimulate dialogue to address this worldwide challenge. The Council of Science Editors has organized this unique simultaneous publication event with the participation of over 230 key journals throughout the world. The paper is available free online at www.liebertpub.com/bfm View story.