Call to Action on Breastfeeding in North Carolina: Review and Rationale

Abstract

N C Med J. September/October 2010, Volume 71, Number 5 When one looks at many preventive health practice norms, one might conclude that North Carolina has a unique “health care personality.” The norms in North Carolina do not quite fit with regional norms in the southeastern United States, nor do they align with those of the Mid-Atlantic states. North Carolina’s attitudes, trends, and practices related to the protection, promotion, and support of breastfeeding are no exception. North Carolina has a special set of issues that affect trends and practices in breastfeeding and vary across the state. Breastfeeding is sometimes referred to as the “homeless intervention.” It has no commercial home. It is neither entirely a women’s issue nor entirely a children’s issue. Breastfeeding is not a one-time thing, like an immunization or a pill; rather, it demands a 24/7 commitment on the part of new parents who have many things to learn. However, it is a mistake to think of breastfeeding as simply a lifestyle choice. In the United States, we once considered avoidance of smoking, use of a seat belt or a bike helmet, and regular exercise to be lifestyle choices with no real public health impact. However, we have been persuaded by data on health and survival, as well as by the social and health care costs of nonadherence to public health recommendations, to value these preventive health behaviors and to support them with social marketing campaigns, insurance incentives, and even laws to increase acceptance and to promote behavior change. These considerations also apply to breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is a vital preventive health practice and an issue for all who care about health, whether from a clinical, business, or personal viewpoint. The support, or lack thereof, for breastfeeding has measurable implications in terms of lifelong health and wellness for North Carolinians.