ABM Action Statement on Forced Separation of Breastfeeding Families

The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) is an international organization of physicians and health professionals dedicated to protecting, promoting, and supporting breastfeeding as a fundamental component of maternal and infant health.

ABM has issued this Action Statement on the Forced Separation of Breastfeeding Families in response to growing global reports of breastfeeding mothers and their infants being separated during conflicts, civil unrest, immigration enforcement, and other law enforcement actions. As experts in breastfeeding and lactation medicine, ABM strongly condemns the forced separation of breastfeeding mother–infant dyads and affirms that breastfeeding is a basic human right.

Forced separation can cause immediate and lasting physical, psychological, and emotional harm to both mothers and infants. This statement outlines the evidence-based health risks of such separations, references international human rights frameworks, and calls on leaders, policymakers, and agencies worldwide to prevent these practices and to enact and enforce protections for breastfeeding families.

We invite organizations, health professionals, and advocates who share these concerns to stand with ABM by adding their names as signatories to this statement.

Full Statement

The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) is an international organization of physicians and health professionals dedicated to supporting the health and well-being of breastfeeding families. We are deeply concerned by increasing reports of the forced separation of breastfeeding mothers and their babies during conflicts, civil unrest, and law enforcement actions around the world.

As experts in Breastfeeding Medicine, we strongly condemn any separation of a breastfeeding mother–infant dyad. Such separation can cause immediate and lasting harm to both mother and baby.

Breastfeeding is a basic human right.¹ Successful breastfeeding is widely recognized to provide optimal nutrition and immune protection, including substantial health benefits for infants, such as:

• reduced infectious and metabolic disease, improved brain development, reduced chronic disease, and lower infant mortality,² 

and for mothers

• reduced risk of cardiovascular illness, postpartum depression, and breast and ovarian cancers. 

Most people worldwide initiate breastfeeding after birth.^3-5 When breastfeeding is abruptly disrupted, mothers commonly experience significant psychological distress, breast pain and engorgement, risk of mastitis, and, within a period of hours to days, a potentially irreversible decrease in breast milk production.^6-7 Infants also experience the stress of separation from their primary caregiver. They are at risk of acute dehydration by refusing bottle feeding and refusing the breast, if or when they are ultimately reunited with their mother.⁸ Beyond physical health considerations, infants rely on the presence of their primary caregiver for emotional security and healthy social-emotional development. Ensuring that separated infants receive nurturing, responsive care is essential to minimizing trauma and supporting their overall well-being.

We are aware of many cases of separation of babies from their parents related to law enforcement, civil conflicts, and war. We commend policies intended to limit such harm, including Articles 3 and 9 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989),^9–10, which affirm that children should not be separated from their parents unwillingly unless it is in the child’s best interest. In the United States the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Directive 11032.4 (2021),¹¹ states that ICE should not detain, arrest, or take into custody individuals known to be pregnant, postpartum, or nursing for an administrative immigration violation unless release is prohibited by law or the individual poses a national security concern or an imminent risk of death, violence, or physical harm to someone else.

We urge all responsible leaders and agencies to immediately cease the forced separation of breastfeeding mothers and their babies and prevent such future separations through the enactment and enforcement of protective policies. When such separation is legally justified or necessary, provisions should be made to allow the nursing mother to safely express and store milk, and for the infant to receive adequate nutrition and medical care.

For evidence-based expert recommendations, we urge leaders and agencies to use the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Position Statement: Breastfeeding in Emergencies.

Access Breastfeeding in Emergencies Statement

Download Full Separation Statement

Invitation to Sign On

ABM is accepting additional signatories through Friday, March 20, 2026. Organizations and individuals who support the principles and recommendations outlined in the statement above are invited to add their names as signatories by completing the form below. Following this date, the list of signatories will be finalized for publication.

By signing on, you affirm your commitment to:

• Protecting the health and well-being of breastfeeding mothers and infants
• Opposing the forced separation of breastfeeding dyads
• Supporting policies and practices that uphold breastfeeding as a basic human right

Signatories will be listed publicly on this webpage (unless anonymity is requested) as supporters of this call to action.

To add your name or organization as a signatory, please complete the form below.

Sign On Today