Legislative declaration

(1) The general assembly hereby finds, determines, and declares that: (a) The American academy of pediatrics recommends breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of an infant's life and has continuously endorsed breastfeeding for at least one year or longer as the optimal form of nutrition for infants and as a foundation for good feeding practices; (b) Extensive research indicates that there are diverse and compelling advantages to nursing for infants, mothers, families, businesses, and society, including less illness among children who are nursed and lower health-care costs; (c) Epidemiologic research shows that breastfeeding infants provides benefits to their general health, growth, and development and results in significant decreases in risk for numerous acute illnesses; (d) Breastfeeding has been shown to have numerous health benefits for mothers, including an earlier return to prepregnant weight, delayed resumption of ovulation with increased child spacing, improved bone remineralization postpartum with reduction in hip fractures in the postmenopausal period, and reduced risk of ovarian cancer and premenopausal breast cancer; (e) In addition to individual health benefits, providing opportunities for breastfeeding results in substantial benefits to employers, including reduced health-care costs, reduced employee absenteeism for care attributable to infant illness, improved employee productivity, higher morale and greater loyalty, improved ability to attract and retain valuable employees, and a family-friendly image in the community; (f) Nursing is a basic, normal, and important act of nurturing that should be encouraged in the interests of maternal and infant health. (2) The general assembly further declares that the purpose of this part 1 is for the state of Colorado to become involved in the national movement to recognize the medical importance of breastfeeding, within the scope of complete pediatric care, and to encourage removal of boundaries placed on nursing mothers in the workplace.