According to the authors of this week’s study, in the USA 25% of all people and 10% of those who are low-income have access to paid family and medical leave (FML). Paid FML is different from the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), in that FMLA provides 12 weeks of unpaid job protected leave to care for a new child or family member without income replacement. FMLA has been found to mostly benefit those with higher income.
Previous studies have shown increased rates of breastfeeding, pediatric visit attendance, and newborn vaccination, along with lower rates of postpartum depression and suicide, intimate partner violence, and infant mortality in association with paid FML.
The researchers of today’s study designed a 2016-2019 cross-sectional study looking at the association between state paid FML policy and postpartum outcomes, comparing multiple states.
The authors analyzed data from the CDC’s Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMs) database. They evaluated responses to the following 3 questions: 1. Whether they were breastfeeding (defined as any breastfeeding at 6 months), 2. Postpartum depression symptoms, and 3. Whether they had a postpartum checkup.
Each state was given a score based on the opportunities for paid FML, which was partially determined by state laws that provide coverage, laws for public and private sector workers such as allowing accrued paid sick time, and the ability to flexibly use sick time for a new child. Massachusetts had the highest composite score (160), while Alabama, Idaho, Michigan, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming scored a 0 for composite paid leave.
The study incorporated 143,131 PRAMs respondents, with 26.2% in states with the most generous paid FML, 20.5% in states with moderate paid FML, and 53.3% in states with little or no paid FML. States with low FML coverage had higher non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Black respondents, whereas states with high FML coverage had higher rates of Asian and Hispanic respondents.
The researchers found that state paid FML was associated with higher breastfeeding rates, lower postpartum depression prevalence, and higher postpartum visit attendance frequency.
Sanpri Purdy-Porter
It makes sense. Finances are a big stressor when it comes to planning a family and when you have paid leave it helps eliminate some of that stress so you can do important things like be able to parent your children and focus on breastfeeding.