I am nominating an update of a very important 2007 review that has been archived Breastfeeding and Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes in Developed Countries. I would encourage similar key questions and related parameters as in the 2007 review.

Breastfeeding is a preventive practice that is associated with reduced likelihood of chronic and other conditions in both mother and baby. There are no known health downsides apart from the rare potential for transmitting certain conditions and substances.Complementing conventional epidemiologic perspectives evolving understanding of the human microbiome further underscores the importance of this practice e.g. httpwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.govpubmed25484891 httpwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.govpubmed25387230 as does evolving knowledge of the hormonal physiology of childbearing see www.childbirthconnection.orghormonalphysiology.Breastfeeding is also associated with reduced health care costs httpwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.govpubmed23743465.Breastfeeding has high continuing policy relevance due to its health and cost benefits. CDC has recently greatly increased resources devoted to breastfeeding promotion. CDC continues to carry out its periodic mPINC survey to monitor hospitallevel adherence to practices that facilitate breastfeeding.The Affordable Care Act included important provisions to support breastfeeding and an updated review would bolster continuing efforts to implement those provisions.The National Quality Forumendorsed Exclusive Breast Milk Feeding performance measure is a part of The Joint Commissions core Perinatal Care measure set. Effective January 1 2014 The Joint Commission is mandating collection and reporting of this measure set in hospitals with 1.100 or more births per year with the possibility of extending this to remaining hospitals with maternity units in the future.Much new research that may be eligible for inclusion has been published since the development of the initial AHRQ EPC review on maternal and infant health outcomes of breastfeeding in developing countries. Also a single report that found no benefit of breastfeeding has received disproportionate attention in the media in the interval. The formula industry continues to devote a very high level of resources to fostering increased use of breastmilk substitutes which are harmful in comparison with breast milk itself.Breastfeeding is an issue of special importance to vulnerable populations including African American women and babies due to disparities in breastfeeding and health and potential large opportunities for improvement.The inclusion of health benefits for women in the previous EPC review is of special relevance as the benefits for babies are better known.Through these efforts breastfeeding trends show steady improvement. An updated review versus one that is positioned as obsolete online would be an important tool for accelerating improvement in policy practice education and research.

Childbirth Connection Programs at the National Partnership for Women Families advocates strongly for optimal care for childbearing women and newborns. Due to breastfeedings lifelong health benefits for both a woman and her baby we support proven practices that increase the initiation and duration of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding support will be a prominent feature of our ongoing advocacy relating to implications of our recently released major report on Hormonal Physiology of Childbearing. We also support breastfeeding through our social media and through various advisory bodies such as recent service on NQF perinatal care steering committees on the US Breastfeeding Committee Advisory Committee on Community Support for Breastfeeding and the National Institute for Childrens Health Quality Best Fed Beginnings Advisory Panel. We participate in the Kellogg Foundations First Food Forums. We also provide extensive data about breastfeeding through our periodic national Listening to Mothers surveys. Sharing updated results about shorter and longerterm health benefits of breastfeeding for both women and babies will be crucial to all of this work.

Please choose a description that best describes your role or perspective: (you may select more than one category if appropriate)

I engage in advocacy education research and policy development on behalf of childbearing women and newborns.

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I have refereed numerous EPC reports and make good use of those in my field. I have attended NIH conferences developed around EPC reports. I work with various colleagues who are or have been EPC investigators.