Abstract
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All of the speakers had a charisma that was contagious, but two speakers stood out—Karen Pence, the Second Lady of our nation, and Senator Tammy Duckworth from Illinois.
Mrs. Pence was charming, well spoken, and under heavy guard. She spoke eloquently about becoming a mother when she had never heard about breastfeeding nor had she been breastfed. She did, however, learn from her mother-in-law and nurse all three of her children. She left the audience spellbound. Her commitment to breastfeeding and her understanding of its unique importance for the health and development of mothers and babies were impressive.
Senator Duckworth is an Iraqi war pilot who lost both legs when her helicopter was shot from the sky. She gets around in a wheelchair but uses artificial legs with high heels when standing. She has been breastfeeding her first child. She stood at the microphone to weave her life-threatening tale. It brought action from the Middle East right into the room. The audience was paralyzed by the message that intertwined war and breastfeeding. Illinois, and the nation, has been gifted with such a remarkable woman in the Senate as she continues to serve our country.
Several speakers represented the challenges for minority populations and shared the problems of child bearing and breastfeeding and some successful community-based programs. The discussion was intense and created momentum for targets for next June. Agencies of the Federal Government now have a to-do list. Since the first Summit in 1984 under the leadership of Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, the needs have been similar. Dr. Koop's words, taken from his 1984 report on Breastfeeding and Human Lactation, still ring true today—“We must identify and reduce barriers which keep women from beginning or continuing to breastfeed their infants.”
According to the American Heritage Dictionary, fourth edition, 2013, a summit is a conference or meeting of high-level leaders usually called to shape a program of action. These Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine gatherings have been rightly called Summits because of the caliber of the attendees. The meeting venue, the Pew Charitable Trusts in Washington, DC, has been most conducive for high-level professional interaction. It has allowed for the presentation and recording of prestigious speakers as well as the important interaction among the invited participants representing major community-based organizations, leading academics, high-level public officials, and key Federal agencies. Much progress has been made in the years past; breastfeeding is now a household word. The nutrition field has embraced breastfeeding as the ultimate, the ideal infant feeding method. Neonatologists have finally conceded that human milk is essential for the compromised infant. Groups of isolated women have recognized the value of human milk for both mother and child. And, support from family, friends, and fathers is finally well accepted and common in most communities.
But the job is not done. There are still people to educate, women to inspire, leaders to provide direction and financial support, and education for the healthcare and nutrition professions. It will take legislation, education, financial support, and commitment to create the success we so urgently seek. With major changes under discussion for America's healthcare system, our input and recommendations are needed now more than ever. The tremendous consensus among the speakers and participants at this Ninth Annual Summit on Breastfeeding serves to underscore the Summit tagline: The Essential Role of Breastfeeding.