In answer to the Lactnetter's request for information on the HP2010
objectives, the health objectives for the US for the year 2010 are currently
being drafted. Input was solicited last year and I am including ILCA's
submission here which is the same as the one from NABA.

In October of 1998 the HP2010 draft will be published and the Federal Register
will issue a call for public comment. Here is your chance to make your wishes
known. Public comment period and regional meeting will be from October through
December. The final release of the document will be in the year 2000. NABA has
its hard copy available if you contact me. Here is ILCA's submission:

Marsha Walker
Weston, MA


December 4, 1997

Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Attention: Healthy People 2010 Objectives
738-G Humphrey Building
200 Independence Ave, SW
Washington, DC 20201

Gentlemen:

The International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA), which was founded
in 1985, represents health care professionals who provide clinical support of
lactation for the benefit of breastfeeding infants and their families. In
response to your call for Healthy People 2010 objectives, ILCA would like to
suggest that the following issues surrounding breastfeeding be included.

Sound scientific evidence supports the inclusion of breastfeeding in any
prevention oriented document, and we recommend the following:

1. The breastfeeding objective remain in Maternal and Infant Health
2. The new Child Health section be kept separate from the Maternal Infant
Health section
3. Breastfeeding goals be extended to include a continuation rate of 25% at 12
months, and that continuous data be collected throughout this time period
4. Reimbursement for breastfeeding support and services should be available to
insure that all women and infants receive needed professional support, not
just those able to pay privately
5. Breastfeeding be consistently defined for research, program evaluation,
data collection, and continuity of efforts. The technical work for the
breastfeeding definition schema has been published

Labbok and Krasovec: Toward consistency in breastfeeding definitions. Studies
in Family Planning 1990; 21, 4:226-230

Human milk and breastfeeding form the life-long foundation for good health. To
improve the health of the American people, it is essential that breastfeeding
objectives be incorporated into the future goals for health promotion, health
protection and preventive services. ILCA represents over 4000 US health
professionals involved in the clinical support of breastfeeding, many of whom
utilize the current breastfeeding objective (Nutrition 2.11, Maternal Infant
Health 14.9) as a benchmark in the structure and evaluation of their programs.
Members employed by hospitals, the WIC program, or state and local health
departments receiving Title V funding rely on the breastfeeding objective in
formulating health goals and measuring outcomes against the national target.
Because breastfeeding plays a significant role in lifetime health for both the
infant and the mother, keeping it before the public and health professionals
as a measurable health outcome is most important.

On behalf of the ILCA Board of Directors I wish to thank you for providing
ILCA with the opportunity to make an important contribution to the future
health of our nation.


Sincerely,


Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC
President-elect