Organizations Supporting Breastfeeding and Promoting Lactation Knowledge

Government Agencies

• Food and Nutrition Information Center

• National Agricultural Library, USA-ARS

• 10301 Baltimore Avenue, Room 108

• Beltsville, MD 20705-2350

• Phone: 301-504-5414

• Fax: 301-504-6409

• E-mail: ndlinfo@ars.usda.gov

• Website: http://ndb.nal.usda.gov

This center provides information on human nutrition, nutrition education, food service management, consumer education, and food technology and functions as a resource library loaning books, journal articles, and audiovisual materials for nutrition and breastfeeding.

• Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of the Secretary

• US Department of Health and Human Services

• 1101 Wootton Parkway, Suite LL100

• Rockville, MD 20852

• Phone: 240-453-8280

• Fax: 240-453-8281

• E-mail: info@nhic.org

• Website: http://www.health.gov/NHIC/

  • This office supports three websites:

  • Healthy People healthypeople@hhs.gov

  • Healthfinder.gov healthfinder@hhs.gov

  • National Health Information Center nhic@hhs.gov

These sites help consumers answer questions and locate health information at these different sites/databases. Health questions can be referred to appropriate health agencies that, in turn, respond directly to inquirers.

• Office of Women’s Health (OWH)

• Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health at the US Department of Health and Human Services

• 200 Independence Avenue, SW

• Washington, DC 20201

• Phone: 800-994-9662

• Website: http://www.womenshealth.gov

This office supports programs and activities for women’s health, including a focus on breastfeeding. There is a broad range of informational materials concerning women’s health available through the site. There are focused materials specifically for breastfeeding: The Business Case for Breastfeeding and “Your Guide to Breastfeeding.”

• National Information Center on Health Services Research and Health Care Technology (NICHSR)

• National Institute of Health/US National Library of Medicine

• 8600 Rockville Pike

• Bethesda, MD 20894

• Phone: 888-346-3656 or 301-594-5983

• Website: www.nlm.nih.gov/hsrph.html

This website maintains a search program for accessing health information contained anywhere in the National Library of Medicine and the National Institute of Health. NICHSR ONESearch at https://hsric.nlm.nih.gov/hsric_public .

• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)

• US Department of Health and Human Services

• 5600 Fishers Lane

• Rockville MD, 20857

• Phone: 301-427-1364

• Website: http://www.ahrq.gov

This agency works to produce evidence to affect health care, making it safer, of higher quality, and more equitable, affordable, and accessible. They foster collaboration between research entities and clinical practice through the production of clinical practice guidelines, share research tools and data, evaluate programs for quality and patient safety, and produce evidence-based reports. It creates, catalogs, and makes available materials to teach and train health care professionals and institutions to improve care for patients.

• US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

• 10903 New Hampshire Avenue

• Silver Spring, MD 20993

• Phone: 888-463-6332

• Website: http://www.fda.gov

This agency regulates the safe use and availability of food and medications within the United States. It is a resource of information and guidance for consumers, patients, health professionals, scientists, and industry. It provides information on the requirements for labeling of prescription drugs and biologic products for use during pregnancy and lactation. It maintains information on safety of product use during lactation and the use of donor human milk.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

• Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity

• 1600 Clifton Road

• Atlanta, GA 30333

• Phone: 800-232-4636

• Website: http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding

The division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity maintains and analyzes data on all aspects of health related to those issues but has a focus on breastfeeding for health promotion. It conducts national surveys to assess breastfeeding data for the United States and produces a yearly “Breastfeeding Report Card, United States.” It supports a national “Call to Action” for breastfeeding, and the Healthy People 2020 Objectives focused on breastfeeding and newborn health. It provides information for consumers and health care professionals on numerous aspects of breastfeeding and lactation.

• World Health Organization (WHO)

• Publications Center (US location)

• 5 Sand Creek Road

• Albany, NY 12205-1400

• Phone: 518-436-9686

• Fax: 518-436-7433

• Website: http://www.who.int/nutrition

• E-mail: QCORP@compuserve.com

The WHO maintains a large database for numerous health care issues and breastfeeding comes under its focus on maternal, infant, and child nutrition (Department of Nutrition for Health and Development). Publications available include a statement on infant and young child feeding, a breastfeeding guide for use by community health workers, and a study on patterns of breastfeeding, among other focused publications.

• The Global Breastfeeding Collective

• WHO and UNICEF (US location)

• 125 Maiden Lane

• New York, NY 10038

• Phone: 212-686-5522

• Website: http://www.unicef.org/nutrition/index_98470.html

This organization, led by the WHO and UNICEF, is a partnership with 20 international agencies to increase investment in breastfeeding worldwide. The WHO and UNICEF collaborate to develop evidence-informed guidance and policies, support adoption of guidance and actions to improve health, and monitor implementation of policy and programs with resultant outcomes for nutrition and breastfeeding. The Global Breastfeeding Collective partners include 1000 Days, Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, Action Against Hunger, Alive and Thrive, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, CARE, Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute, Center for Women’s Health and Wellness, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Concern Worldwide, Helen Keller International, International Baby Food Action Network, International Lactation Consultant Association, La Leche League International, New Partnership for Africa’s Development, Nutritional International, PATH (formerly known as Program for Appropriate Technology in Health), Save the Children, UNICEF, United States Agency for International Development, WHO, World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action, World Bank, and World Vision International.

Private Educational and Support Organizations

• Health Education Associates (HEA)

• 327 Quaker Meeting House Road

• East Sandwich, MA 02537-1300

• Phone: 888-888-8077 (toll-free), 508-888-8044

• Fax: 508-888-8050

• E-mail: info@healthed.cc

• Website: https://healthed.com

Health Education Associates, an independent health publishing company, make inexpensive pamphlets and other materials available as teaching aids on breastfeeding. They sponsor training programs for breastfeeding counseling and promotion techniques.

• Institute for the Advancement of Breastfeeding & Lactation Education (IABLE)

• Website: https://lacted.org

This is a nonprofit organization supporting breastfeeding education with handouts, courses, and conferences and developing and sustaining breastfeeding support systems and communities. They are associated with The Milk Mob and with GOLD Learning Online Continuing Education to accomplish their goals.

• International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA)

• 110 Horizon Drive, Suite 210

• Raleigh, NC 27615

• Phone: 919-674-4183

• Fax: 919-459-2075

• E-mail: info@icea.org

• Website: http://www.icea.org

The association’s Bookmarks catalog has a large selection of books and inexpensive pamphlets on breastfeeding, childbirth, and parenting. It publishes ICEA News , with news about childbirth, prenatal, and parenting issues, and ICEA Review , which provides in-depth reviews of current perinatal issues. It also has a resource committee on breastfeeding.

• International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA)

• 2501 Aerial Center Parkway, Suite 103

• Morrisville, NC 27560

• Phone: 919-861-5577

• Fax: 919-459-2075

• E-mail: info@ilca.org

• Website: http://www.ilca.org

The International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) provides many services, including newsletters, the Journal of Human Lactation and annual conferences.

• La Leche League International, Inc. (LLLI)

• 110 Horizon Drive, Suite 210

• Raleigh, NC 27615, USA

• Phone: 919-459-2167; 1-800-LaLeche

• Fax: 919-459-2075

• E-mail: info@llli.org

• Website: http://www.llli.org

La Leche’s publications catalog includes a large variety and broad scope of materials for mothers and health professionals to use in promoting and supporting breastfeeding. There is also a directory of league area coordinators by state and foreign country. The coordinators can give information about local support groups.

• United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC)

• 4044 N Lincoln Avenue, No. 288

• Chicago IL 60618

• Phone: 773-359-1549

• Fax: 773-313-3498

• Website: http://www.usbreastfeeding.org

This is a coalition of over 50 organizations collaborating to improve policies and practices to support breastfeeding within the United States. It works on strategic planning for breastfeeding and legislation in the United States and hosts the National Breastfeeding Coalitions Conference, yearly. It is a resource for breastfeeding publications and position statements. It connects people with the resources provided by the various collaborating breastfeeding organizations through “Breastfeeding Frequently Asked Questions” on the website.

• Baby Friendly, USA

• Corporate Headquarters

• 125 Wolf Road, Suite 402

• Albany, NY 12205

• Phone: 518-621-7982

• Fax: 518-621-7983

• E-mail: info@babyfriendlyusa.org

• Website: http://www.babyfriendlyusa.org

This organization is the originator of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), including guidelines and evaluation criteria. BFHI was adapted by the WHO and UNICEF for use worldwide. The Baby Friendly organization continues to work for the dissemination of lactation information and hospital and community support of breastfeeding.

• WABA Secretariat: World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action

• PO Box 1200

• 10850 Penang

• Malaysia

• Phone: 604-658-4816

• Fax: 604-657-2655

• E-mail: waba@waba.org.my

• Website: http://www.waba.org.my

The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) is a network of organizations and individuals dedicated to protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding as a right of all children and women. It also provides publications on breastfeeding and infant feeding with a focus on knowledge, advocacy, and lactation management.