American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Breastfeeding

Mission and Vision

The mission of the Section on Breastfeeding of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is “to provide programs that will help all infants, children, adolescents, and young adults served by members of the AAP to attain optimal physical, mental, and social health.” ¹ The section works toward this mission “by addressing the breastfeeding needs of infants, children, their families and communities, and by supporting AAP members through breastfeeding advocacy, research, education, and policy development, as well as promoting the systems through which the members deliver breastfeeding care.” ¹ The vision of the Section on Breastfeeding is that “children will have optimal health and well being through breastfeeding; and breastfeeding is valued by society” and that “AAP members will provide family-centered, culturally-effective, evidence-based care for breastfeeding infants, children, their families, and communities.” ¹

The Section of Breastfeeding was founded in 2000 after 6 years of activity as an AAP work group and then task force, and it has grown to a membership of over 450 pediatricians. The Section on Breastfeeding’s strategic plan includes 3 general areas: advocacy, education, and policy.^2,3

Advocacy

The section advocates for reimbursement for breastfeeding care services, protection of breastfeeding in the workplace, and understanding that breastfeeding is the infant-feeding norm. Through AAP chapter breastfeeding coordinators, it also supports breastfeeding coalitions throughout the states and US territories. ³

The Section on Breastfeeding played a key role in securing the AAP’s 2009 endorsement of the World Health Organization’s “ten steps to successful breastfeeding.” ⁴ The 10 steps have a strong and enduring effect on increasing breastfeeding rates and improving the health of children and women. ⁵

Education

The section educates health professionals in sessions at the AAP’s National Conference and Exhibition and at chapter and district meetings. The section has made substantial contributions to national curriculum development and practice education through the AAP’s Breastfeeding Residency Curriculum^6,7 and the Breastfeeding Promotion in Physicians’ Office Practices program, a 4-year initiative coordinated by the AAP with partnership and funding by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau. ⁸ The “Breastfeeding Support and Promotion Speaker’s Kit,” ⁹ written and published by the Section on Breastfeeding, is made available for download by the AAP (please contact lactation@aap.org for additional information). Additional publications by the section include Safe and Healthy Beginnings: A Resource Toolkit for Hospitals and Physicians’ Offices, ¹⁰ New Mother’s Guide to Breastfeeding, ¹¹ and Breastfeeding Your Baby: Answers to Common Questions. ¹² In partnership with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Section on Breastfeeding and the AAP publish the Breastfeeding Handbook for Physicians. ¹³ The AAP chapter breastfeeding coordinators are pediatricians who provide additional education and advocacy in the 59 AAP chapters.

Policy

The section develops and maintains evidence-based policies in support of breastfeeding, most notably “Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk.” ¹⁴ This policy statement is used around the world; in fact, this 2005 statement has been cited by 667 scientific articles (based on a search of ISI Web of Science^SM conducted April 16, 2011). The revised policy statement is expected to be published at the end of 2011.

Benefits for Members of the Section

At the members-only pages of its website, the section offers additional educational opportunities. Section members can find answers to frequently encountered clinical situations, such as questions about vitamin D supplementation and mastitis. This website also provides a list of everyday resources for the office and hospital setting and an electronic mailing list through which members can receive information from the AAP (including breastfeeding posters, fact sheets, text books, and videos) and can ask questions of their colleagues. In addition, the website facilitates members’ contact with chapter breastfeeding coordinators, the AAP Breastfeeding Initiatives staff, and the Executive Committee of the Section on Breastfeeding.

Members of the AAP Section on Breastfeeding may also apply to the section for lectureship grants. To cite one example, a 2010 lectureship grant helped fund a conference cosponsored by the Virginia chapter of the AAP titled “Practical Tools for Promoting and Supporting Breastfeeding: Troubleshooting in a Busy Practice.” ¹⁵

Members also receive, and may publicize their own programs in, a quarterly newsletter, Breastfeeding: Best for Baby and Mother. The section recently published a poster titled “Obesity Prevention Begins With Breastfeeding.” A complimentary copy of the poster was provided to all Section on Breastfeeding members in December 2010.

The section is organized by pediatricians, 1 elected as chair and 5 as an executive committee, with appointed pediatrician liaisons for policy, membership, breastfeeding coordination, and education. The AAP provides staff members to coordinate all activities and interactions among other groups within the AAP.

Conclusion

Some International Lactation Consultant Association members may wish to share this article with interested pediatricians, who may apply to become members of the AAP Section on Breastfeeding. We welcome your collaboration with the section in its promotion, protection, and support of breastfeeding. Membership in the section is open to AAP members, and the application is accessible online via the AAP. For additional information, please visit our website at http://www.aap.org/breastfeeding or e-mail us at lactation@aap.org.