Although there is significant scientific data to support the breastfeeding is beneficial to both nursing mothers and infants, there are gaps between these data points and national public health goals and the realities for breastfeeding women in the United States.
In a new policy brief in Health Affairs, Tony Yang, associate professor of Health Administration and Policy, along with Jennifer Saunders and Katy Kozhimannil of the University of Minnesota, provides an overview of the federal and state laws involving workplace and public accommodations for breastfeeding women and the gaps they are facing.
The authors explain that while the Affordable Care Act has changed the situation for some nursing mothers, there are many that still experience barriers to taking advantage of workplace accommodations due to limited enforcement or lack of break time. They argue that additional federal and state support is necessary to address these gaps between public health goals for breastfeeding and the reality nursing mothers face. Read the full brief.