In our new position statement on Paid Maternity Leave, The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine is recommending 6 months of paid maternity leave at 100% of pay. This bold recommendation comes after careful consideration of the research worldwide on the impact of paid leave to societies, employers, and families. Importantly, 6 months allows mothers the opportunity to exclusively breastfeed their infants for the entire period recommended by the​​ World Health Organization (WHO) and other leading health authorities. Mothers should not be forced to stop breastfeeding because they must return to work. Nor should any mother have to choose between being near her critically ill infant while supplying life-sustaining breast milk and returning to work.

ABM is saddened to share that the highly-anticipated HIT Parade, to be held at our Annual International Meeting on Nov. 12 at 11:30am CT, has been canceled. Like other healthcare professionals and emergency responders in this time of crisis, its presenter, Arthur Eidelman, MD, has been called to assist in his local hospital in Israel, where he resides. Dr. Eidelman is currently working in the NICU, which includes providing donor milk for a hospitalized 4-month-old child, whose mother is among the missing.