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January/February 2002 JOGNN 11

LETTERS

Breastfeeding Policy

The article by Humenick and Gwayi-Chore,“Leader or Left Behind: National and Interna-tional Policies Related to Breastfeeding” (Septem-ber/October 2001 JOGNN), is an excellentreview of work in the world and in the UnitedStates to develop breastfeeding policy. There is,however, something missing from the article.Where is the discussion of the Association ofWomen’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses(AWHONN) and its support of breastfeedingpolicy?

That support includes an AWHONN positionstatement, “The Role of the Nurse in the Promo-tion of Breastfeeding,” and two policy statements,“Breastfeeding” and “Breastfeeding and Lacta-tion in the Workplace.” AWHONN also has tes-tified on Capitol Hill about its position on breast-feeding and legislation introduced byRepresentative Carolyn Maloney (D, NY). Inaddition, AWHONN’s Standards and Guidelinesfor Professional Nursing Practice in the Care ofWomen and Newborns (5th ed., 1998) includesguidelines for breastfeeding support.

I would like to have seen the article acknowl-edge not only the work of the American Academyof Pediatrics but also the work of AWHONN. Inthe discussion of what nurses can do in develop-

ing breastfeeding policy, inclusion of the work ofAWHONN would have given specific examplesof what can and is being done. By mentioning theassociation’s role in breastfeeding policy, the arti-cle also would have made others aware thatAWHONN is taking a leading role in this impor-tant area.

We can be proud of our efforts so far, eventhough there is much that remains to be done byboth AWHONN and individual nurses toadvance breastfeeding.

Judith Harris, EdD, ARNPEdmond, OK

Author’s Response

Thank you for calling attention to the contribu-tions of AWHONN in support of breastfeedingpolicy. The breastfeeding policy statements ofAWHONN, the International Lactation Consul-tant Association, the La Leche League, LamazeInternational, and other organizations that focuson the care of the mother and child would havebeen a valuable addition to the article.

Sharron S. Humenick, PhD, RN, FAANRichmond, VA