Every two years the World Health Assembly (WHA) of the World Health Organization (WHO) entertains discussion regarding the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes (“the Code”) to reaffirm support for the document, strengthen its tenets, and fill gaps in the promotion, protection, and support of breastfeeding. The United States was the only country that voted against the Code in 1981 and who has continuously offered little to no support for subsequent resolutions since then. But it was during the 71^st WHA meeting in May 2018 that the United States engaged in its most blatant hostility and egregious behavior in opposition to the Code as described in a July 8, 2018, New York Times article. When the US attempts to weaken the resolution were met with resistance, the US threatened the sponsoring country with trade sanctions and withdrawal of military aid if the resolution was not dropped. The American negotiators won removal of language regarding inappropriate marketing tactics of infant formula from the final version of the resolution as well as inserting language that could be used as a ploy to undermine long established and successful breastfeeding initiatives. The United States Lactation Consultant Association uses the Code as the foundation of its work and condemns the embarrassing and bullying behavior engaged in by the United States that threatens the health of mothers and infants worldwide. Breastfeeding is a public health imperative and should not fall prey to profit-driven motives of businesses who stand to gain when breastfeeding fails.

USLCA invites you to get involved! Email info@uslca.org to sign-on to this joint statement. For more information, including sample letters to send to your representatives, click here.

Joint supporting organizations:

• Alaska Breastfeeding Coalition
• Alaska Lactation Consultant Association
• Baby Cafe Bakersfield
• Baby Cafe Troy, NY
• Baby Cafe USA
• Breastfeed Chicago
• Breastfeed LA
• California Advanced Lactation Institute
• Central Valley Lactation Association
• Champions for Children, Inc.
• Colorado Breastfeeding Coalition
• Colorado Lactation Consultant Association
• DONA International
• Gallo Birth Services
• Illinois Association for Infant Mental Health
• Kentuckiana Lactation Improvement Coalition
• Lactation Consultants of Metropolitan St. Louis
• Lactation Education Consultants
• Lamaze International
• littlebeam LLC
• Massachusetts Lactation Consultant Association
• Metropolitan Breastfeeding
• National Alliance for Breastfeeding Advocacy
• Northern Colorado Breastfeeding Association
• Pennsylvania Mid-State Lactation Coalition
• Praeclarus Press
• Southern Arizona Lactation Consultant Association
• St. Peter’s Community Health Programs
• StoneCrest Baby Cafe
• Western Pennsylvania Lactation Consultant Association
• Wisconsin Association of Lactation Consultants

Joint supporting individuals:

• Christine Staricka, BS, IBCLC, RLC, CCE
• Danielle Harmon, MPH
• Dominique Gallo, BS, IBCLC, RLC
• Jackee Haak, RN, BS, IBCLC
• Lisa Brock, RN, BSN, IBCLC, RLC
• Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC
• Michelle Stulberger, MHA, IBCLC, RLC
• Jennifer Abdul-Rahman, BSN, RN, IBCLC
• Joy Ahn, BSN, RN
• Brenda Bandy, IBCLC
• Jan Barger, RN, MA, IBCLC, FILCA
• Rebecca S. Boyd, BSN, RN, IBCLC
• Jane A. Bradshaw, BSN, RN, IBCLC, RLC
• Sara Dale-Bley, IBCLC
• Patricia Allen Doty, RN, MSN, IBCLC
• Mary Foley, RN, BSN, IBCLC
• Annie Frisbie, IBCLC
• Rachelle Gianaris, MA, CCC-SLP
• Kailin Hamilton, RDN, IBCLC
• Gabrielle Hathaway, MS, IBCLC
• Yvonne Hoffman, RN, MSN, IBCLC
• Bonnie Holt Logsdon, RD, IBCLC
• Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, PhD, IBCLC, FAPA
• Jessica Kielbasa, RN, BSN, IBCLC
• Jill Lane Krieg, RNC, IBCLC
• Tiffany Lane, BS, LES
• Allison Laverty Montag, IBCLC
• Kimberly Lusk, RN, IBCLC
• Jennifer McCauley, RN, IBCLC
• Diane S. Michel, MSPH, IBCLC, RLC
• Eric O’Reilly, RN, MSNR, IBCLC
• Nancy G. Powers, MD, FAAP, FABM, IBCLC
• Mary Laura Richardson, MS, BA, RN, CLC, IBCLC
• Tracey Robnett, RN, IBCLC
• Mike Schwan, MS, RD
• Terriann Shell, BS, RN, IBCLC, CHES, FILCA
• Kati Smith, AA, LES
• Robin Snyder-Drummond, BA, IBCLC
• Melanie Tarr, BS Edu, IBCLC
• Sandra Jean Taylor, BS, IBCLC, RLC
• Jana Watson, RN, BSN, IBCLC
• Noreen Webb, RN, IBCLC
• Allyson Wessells, PT, IBCLC
• Kari Wheeler, BSN, RN, IBCLC, RLC
• Laura Whitsett, BS, IBCLC
• Ann Grauer, AdvCD/AdvPCD(DONA), BDT/PDT(DONA), LCCE, FACCE, IBCLC, RLC
• Amy K Mosman, MMS PA-C