The first lady with the famously buff biceps will be on the move, literally, over the next few days to mark the second anniversary of her "Let's Move!" fitness initiative, aimed at reducing childhood obesity in America.

Today, Michelle Obama kicks off a three-day national tour that begins in Des Moines, Iowa, and makes its way to Little Rock, Arkansas, and Dallas-Fort Worth. The final leg of the trip will include stops at three cities in Florida, including Orlando. The tour comes after Obama made lighthearted appearances on Ellen and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to promote the initiative over the last two weeks.

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The splashy anniversary celebration of "Let's Move!" coincides with 2012 presidential politics. Several of the states Mrs. Obama will visit, particularly Florida, are rich in electoral votes and have the potential to sway the outcome of a national election. And some polls suggest Michelle Obama is more popular than her husband.

"There is no way especially in the current climate, that nothing can be seen as totally un-politicized," said David Bositis, senior research associate at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a black think tank in Washington, D.C. "And because the first lady is viewed very well, the more she is out there, she is seen as an asset to the president's campaign."


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To better understand the issues and to inform its deliberation in formulating recommendations for policy, research, and practice, the Infant Mortality Commission asked experts in various fields related to maternal and child health and infant mortality to prepare background papers on specific issues. This background paper examines the impact of stress and stress mediators on pregnancy outcomes for African American women. The report also examines social support and other relational experiences and makes recommendations for related changes in public policy and maternal and child health practices. This analysis complements and reinforces the recommendations of other Courage to Love: Infant Mortality Commission background and framing papers on infant mortality and resilience; the role of breastfeeding in maternal and infant health; the historical framework of policies and practices to reduce infant mortality; the authentic voices of those affected by infant mortality; and infant mortality in a global context.

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To better understand the issues and to inform its deliberation in formulating recommendations for policy, research, and practice, the Infant Mortality Commission asked experts in various fields related to maternal and child health and infant mortality to prepare background papers on specific issues. This background paper explores the relationship between maternal nutrition and infant mortality, with an emphasis on the context of relationality. It provides an analysis of the relationship between maternal nutrition and leading causes of infant mortality, as well as maternal, infant, and child health; an overview of the nutritional status and behaviors of pregnant women in the U.S.; and a comprehensive review of the effectiveness of nutritional supplementation programs in pregnancy. The final chapters reframe the relationship between maternal nutrition and infant mortality within the context of relationality over the life course and offer related recommendations for research, policy, and practice. This analysis complements and reinforces the recommendations of other Courage to Love: Infant Mortality Commission background and framing papers on infant mortality and resilience; the role of breastfeeding in maternal and infant health; the historical framework of policies and practices to reduce infant mortality; the authentic voices of those affected by infant mortality; and infant mortality in a global context.

Available in PDF Format Only.

To download this publication, click the file icon below.

To better understand the issues and to inform its deliberation in formulating recommendations for policy, research, and practice, the Infant Mortality Commission asked experts in various fields related to maternal and child health and infant mortality to prepare background papers on specific issues. This background paper examines the critical relationship between breastfeeding and infant mortality among African Americans, the racial/ethnic group with the lowest rate of breastfeeding. The authors explore the benefits of breastfeeding and the issues associated with racial/ethnic disparities in breastfeeding, concluding with an action plan for closing the gap through promotion of breastfeeding based on education, training, awareness, support, and research. This analysis complements and reinforces the recommendations of other Courage to Love: Infant Mortality Commission background and framing papers on infant mortality and maternal nutrition; infant mortality and resilience; the historical framework of policies and practices to reduce infant mortality; the authentic voices of those affected by infant mortality; and infant mortality in a global context.

Available in PDF Format Only.

To download this publication, click the file icon below.