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  • Title: Breastfeeding Act will aid working mothers. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
    Journal: MCH News PAC; 1987; 2(4):9, 12. PubMed ID: 12281643.
    Abstract:
    Although survey data suggest that the vast majority of women in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands are aware that breastfeeding is the optimal form of infant nutrition, by the time of the 6-week postpartum visit, 31% of mothers have stopped breastfeeding exclusively and 26% are resorting to bottle-feeding alone. This pattern has been attributed to the fact that 40% of all women in the Northern Mariana Islands work outside the home, and the majority of these women are government employees who receive only 2 weeks of paid maternity leave. Nurses and physicians are in agreement that 2 weeks is not sufficient time to establish breastfeeding. To remedy this situation, a Family Act has been drafted that includes the following provisions: 1) 30 days of paid maternity leave; 2) 5 days of paid paternity leave; 3) 30 additional days of maternity leave without pay for pregnancy-related illnesses; 4) 30 additional days of parental leave for the care of a child with a serious health condition; 5) 1-hour breastfeeding breaks at work for 1 year; 6) permission for parents to use sick leave to accompany a child to the physician; and 7) job protection while pregnant or breastfeeding. The status of the act is still pending due to the loss of documents caused by typhoon Kim. However, the act has the support of groups such as Catholic Social Services, the Women's Affairs Commission, and members of the Civil Service Commission. It has been estimated that this act could save the government US$160,599/year in averted costs due to time lost from work because of childhood illnesses and lack of natural child spacing.
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