Bundled


Deductibles Breast-feeding Benefits Now Recognized by the IRS


Until its 2011 decision for the 2010 tax year, the Internal Revenue Ser- vice did not classify breast-feeding supplies as tax deductible because it viewed them as nutritional benefits, instead of medical care expenses. Now, under a new ruling, nursing mothers can write off breast-feeding equipment if they have flexible spending accounts or if their total medical expenses exceed 7.5 percent of their adjusted gross income. U.S. Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin has issued a call to action to support breast-feeding, stating that it can protect babies from infections and illnesses, including pneumonia and diarrhea. Breast-fed babies are also less likely to develop asthma and to become obese, according to the report. First Lady Michelle Obama has declared her support for breast-feeding as part of her cam- paign against child obesity. The American Academy of Pediatrics has spent years trying to roll back the push for infant formula, trumpeting the benefits of breast- feeding exclusively for the first six months of life (the World Health Organization promotes breast-feed- ing for two years). A recent Harvard Medical School study published in the journal Pediatrics estimated that if 90 percent of American women breast-fed, 900 premature, infant deaths would be prevented and patients and hospitals would see sav- ings of $13 billion in lost wages and saved health care costs.


I haven’t trusted polls since I read that 62 percent of women had affairs during their lunch hour. I’ve never met a woman in my life who would give up lunch for sex.


~Erma Bombeck natural awakenings May 2011 9


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