AAP Section on Breastfeeding

04/14/2026

The Section on Breastfeeding Executive Committee was at the AAP headquarters in Chicago this past weekend. We were greeted with wonderfully welcoming decorations (thank you Gina!) and we got some work done!
Drs. Maya Bunik, Sahira Long, Emily Hannon, Jenny Thomas and Tope Awelewa were joined virtually by Drs Lakshmy Vaidyanathan and Tara Williams.

01/13/2026

Information for parents on the importance of mother's own milk for very premature and very low birthweight babies. This information is based on the newly- revised AAP Clinical Report electronically released yesterday.

Providing breastmilk for a premature or seriously ill newborn may be a challenge, but it is usually possible and it is certainly an effective way to enhance your baby’s health, growth, and development.

01/12/2026

Here's a link to the revised Clinical Report on "Promoting Human Milk and Breastfeeding for the Very Low Birth Weight Infant" released electronically today! It reaffirms that mother’s own milk is the standard for very low birth weight infants in the NICU.

Mother’s own milk (MOM), appropriately fortified, provides optimal nutrition for hospitalized very low birth weight (VLBW [≤1500 g]) infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and confers a myriad of other short- and long-term health benefits. Every family of a VLBW infant should receive...

01/12/2026

We are excited to share that the updated Clinical Report on “Promoting Human Milk and Breastfeeding for the Very Low Birth Weight Infant” was electronically published today! It offers more detail on use of pasteurized donor human milk when a mother’s own milk is not available. Congratulations to the authors!

The report provides evidence-based lactation support practices, including those that address social inequities for very low birth weight infants  

11/03/2025

Healing with human milk: Supporting and maintaining breastfeeding in hospitalized children
AAP News November 1, 2025
Lakshmy Vaidyanathan, M.D., FABM, IBCLC, FAAP, and Stephanie P. Gilley, M.D., Ph.D., FAAP

Practical interventions, including optimizing the hospital environment, reducing barriers to the provision of human milk and decreasing the effects of hospitalization, can help maintain human milk use across inpatient settings.

11/03/2025

AAP Section on Breastfeeding Member Medical Student/Resident/Fellows Recruitment Drive!

The AAP Section on Breastfeeding (SOBr) is awarding 5 (five) copies of Dr. Maya Bunik's book Breastfeeding Telephone Triage and Advice (5th Edition) to AAP Section on Breastfeeding Members who recruit Medical Students, Residents and/or Fellows to join the Section on Breastfeeding. This recruitment effort will run until March 31st, 2026 and winners will be announced shortly after. The TOP 5 Sponsors with the *most recruits* will be awarded a copy of Dr. Bunik's book.

Click this link for more information! Thank you all for being Breastfeeding Champions!

https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/0b7d2652faf04fbf8578978a78ef2216

10/30/2025

The AAP Section on Breastfeeding (SOBr) is awarding 5 (five) copies of Dr. Maya Bunik's book Breastfeeding Telephone Triage and Advice (5th Edition) to AAP Section on Breastfeeding Members who recruit Medical Students and/or Residents to join the Section on Breastfeeding. This recruitment effort will run until March 31st, 2026 and winners will be announced shortly after. The TOP 5 Sponsors with the *most recruits* will be awarded a copy of Dr. Bunik's book.

Click this link for more information! Thank you all for being Breastfeeding Champions!

10/15/2025

From Dr. Maya Bunik, Chair, AAP SOBr EC

Please feel free to share your reflections & photos here with all of us. May our memories be of comfort.

PS photo courtesy of Dr. Lori Winter, immediate past chair

09/30/2025

AAP Section on Breastfeeding Exec members at AAP NCE Denver 2025!

09/12/2025

Dr. Lori Feldman-Winter, former chairperson of SOBr, serves on the expert panel providing recommendations for postpartum breastfeeding support.

Among children born in 2021, 27.2% were exclusively breastfed for their first six months, and 39.5% were still receiving breast milk by 12 months