[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1416 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1416
Expressing support for the designation of the week of August 25, 2024,
through August 31, 2024, as ``Black Breastfeeding Week''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
August 27, 2024
Ms. Adams (for herself and Mrs. Watson Coleman) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing support for the designation of the week of August 25, 2024,
through August 31, 2024, as ``Black Breastfeeding Week''.
Whereas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics
from 2020 to 2021, Black mothers' breastfeeding initiation rate was 74
percent compared to White mothers' rate of 85 percent;
Whereas breastfeeding directly impacts the health and wellness of infants and
the mothers who care for them;
Whereas Black mothers have reported greater barriers to breastfeeding compared
to their counterparts, including pain or discomfort while breastfeeding,
concerns about breastfeeding in public, insufficient availability of
promotional and educational efforts, and the interference of
breastfeeding with paid employment and other activities;
Whereas some Black mothers have also reported lack of a social support system
for continued breastfeeding;
Whereas, in North Carolina, only 70 percent of Black mothers attempted to
breastfeed in 2019 versus 84 percent of White mothers and the State
average of 81 percent of all birthing parents in the State who breastfed
during the same period;
Whereas Black babies suffer over a 2 times higher infant mortality rate than
White babies in North Carolina;
Whereas low breastfeeding initiation rates directly correlate to high infant
mortality rates;
Whereas babies who are breastfed for at least 3 months have a 38-percent reduced
risk of infant mortality annually across the United States;
Whereas Black children are at a greater risk for childhood disease, and the
inability to exclusively breastfeed for the recommended 6 months has
been attributed to twice as many deaths and 3 times as many childhood
diseases in Black infants as compared to White infants;
Whereas 1 in 4 mothers in the United States returns to work within 2 weeks of
giving birth;
Whereas 60 percent of working mothers in the United States who are breastfeeding
express breast milk in inadequate and unsanitary places on the job;
Whereas COVID-19 has tragically exposed the unfortunate impact of racial
inequities in health for Black communities;
Whereas these inequities have led to Black communities being disproportionately
impacted by the virus, including forced separations of mothers and
infants after birth when breast milk is the safest and most reliable
form of infant feeding during an emergency or pandemic;
Whereas understanding such historical and contemporary racial inequities is
important to address systemic injustices preventing families from
achieving their breastfeeding potential;
Whereas, if mothers could meet current medical recommendations for
breastfeeding, it would save the United States economy nearly
$13,000,000,000 per year in pediatric health costs and premature deaths;
Whereas ``Black Breastfeeding Week'' is an opportunity to raise awareness about
the maternal child health crisis in Black communities and the important
role that breastfeeding plays in improving maternal and infant health
outcomes;
Whereas this week is dedicated to increasing awareness of the critical role of
breastfeeding and the work of Black community-led groups in improving
family health and reducing infant mortality rates in Black communities;
Whereas a week highlighting a unique and targeted approach to address the
challenges facing Black mothers and families is critical to eliminating
racial disparities in breastfeeding and breast cancer survival; and
Whereas ``Black Breastfeeding Week'' was created by Kimberly Seals Allers,
Kiddada Green, and Anayah Sangodele-Ayoka to bring national attention to
the United States maternal child health crisis in the Black community
and the important role that breastfeeding plays in improving maternal
and infant health outcomes: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives recognizes--
(1) that systemic and institutional racism creates greater
barriers for Black women committed to meeting breastfeeding
guidelines set out by Federal public health officials;
(2) that these barriers contribute to increasing health
disparities leaving Black mothers and infants particularly
vulnerable;
(3) that disproportionate rates of maternal mortality and
morbidity in the United States and the alarmingly high rates of
maternal mortality among Black women are unacceptable;
(4) that Congress must fully support and encourage policies
that ensure Black parents have access to affordable health
care, allow parents to take paid leave after the birth of a
child, and ensure that breastfeeding mothers have appropriate
places to express breast milk; and
(5) that, in order to better mitigate the effects of
systemic and structural racism, Congress must work toward
ensuring that Black communities have--
(A) adequate housing;
(B) transportation equity;
(C) nutritious food;
(D) clean water;
(E) environments free from toxins;
(F) fair treatment within the criminal justice
system;
(G) safety and freedom from violence;
(H) a living wage;
(I) equal economic opportunity; and
(J) comprehensive, quality, and affordable health
care.
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