Massachusetts Medical Society Resolution on Breastfeeding

Passed unanimously, May 2007

Sponsors: Committee on Maternal and Perinatal Medicine; Glenn R. Markenson, M.D., Chair; Alison M. Stuebe, M.D.

1. That the Massachusetts Medical Society affirm that exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life is preferred, consistent with the policies of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American Academy of Family Physicians, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.
2. That the MMS support efforts to improve education of physicians regarding appropriate management of breastfeeding, including patient counseling regarding the risks of not breastfeeding, management of common breastfeeding problems, and medication safety for the nursing mother-infant dyad.
3. That the MMS call upon hospitals to adopt evidence-based policies that have been shown to improve breastfeeding initiation and duration.
4. That the MMS call upon both public and private insurers to include lactation support as a part of their standard, reimbursable neonatal-care service.
5. That the MMS support the right of a mother to nurse in public without harassment and encourage breastfeeding-friendly workplaces.

Code: Report: 408, A-07 (D)

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