Dear Breastfeed Durham Community,

As summer begins, we're excited to share new updates, upcoming community events, and helpful resources to support you and your family. Whether you're enjoying sunny adventures or embracing moments of rest and renewal, we're honored to be part of your human milk feeding journey. Explore this month's highlights, connect with our growing community, and join us in celebrating Pride Month, Father's Day, and Juneteenth.

Please note that Breastfeed Durham will be closed from June 19 through July 4 for our annual period of rest and rejuvenation. Supporting human milk feeding families is deeply rewarding work, but it can also be emotionally and physically demanding. This annual closure allows our staff and volunteers time to rest, practice self-care, and restore their minds, bodies, and spirits so we can continue serving our community with care and compassion.

Warmly,

Breastfeed Durham Team

Durham County reached a historic milestone in 2024, reducing infant mortality by 62.3% since 2019, from 7.7 deaths per 1,000 live births to 2.9 deaths per 1,000 live births. The number of infant deaths fell from 32 families affected in 2019 to 12 in 2024, representing 20 more babies celebrating first birthdays. Breastfeed Durham attributes this progress to years of community-wide implementation of the Ten Steps to a Breastfeeding Family Friendly Community, an equity-centered framework that brings together healthcare providers, workplaces, childcare centers, community organizations, and advocates to support families and improve birth outcomes. More than 300 organizations have joined the effort, helping create lasting systems that support healthier beginnings for Durham’s babies and families.

Do you know a Durham business, clinic, organization, or workplace that goes above and beyond to make breastfeeding and lactating families feel welcome? Breastfeed Durham's Community Choice Award recognizes the places that create a supportive environment for families, even when they haven't received formal designation or recognition. These are the businesses where staff offer kindness, respect, and a welcoming atmosphere that makes a real difference.

Help us celebrate these local champions! To nominate a business or organization, email info@breastfeeddurham.org with the name and/or address of the business and tell us why they deserve recognition.

Together, we can highlight the places that make Durham more welcoming for families.

Maternal Mortality Review Committees (MMRCs) in 45 states contributed data on 807 pregnancy-related deaths.

More than two-thirds of deaths occurred during the postpartum period, and more than half of those occurred after 6 weeks postpartum.

• 20.9% of deaths occurred during pregnancy
• 11.2% of deaths occurred on the day of delivery
• 9.5% of deaths occurred between 1 and 6 days postpartum
• 20.6% of deaths occurred between 7 and 42 days postpartum
• 37.8% of deaths occurred between 43 days and 1 year postpartum

85.7% of pregnancy-related deaths were determined to be preventable. This means there was at least some chance of the death being averted by one or more reasonable changes to patient, community, provider, facility and/or system factors.

The top two underlying leading causes of pregnancy-related deaths were mental health conditions (which includes substance use disorder) at 27.7%, and cardiovascular conditions at 16.6%.

Of the pregnancy-related deaths with mental health conditions as the underlying cause:

• 45.4% were determined to be suicide and 51.4% were determined to be unintentional or unknown intent poisoning/overdose
• Substance use disorder was present in 51% of deaths

Explore the most recent and historical MMRIA data using CDC’s interactive data dashboard.