ICEA Mission Statement

The International Childbirth Education Association (ICEA) as a professional organization supports educators and other health care providers who believe in freedom of choice based on knowledge of alternatives in family-centered maternity and newborn care.

ICEA's goals are to provide:

• Professional continuing education and training programs
  
• Quality educational resources
  
• Professional certification programs

The following guidelines will apply to all calendar listings, display and classified advertising in ICEA publications and periodicals and to convention and conference resource manuals and/or products/service packets.

The ICEA Mission Statement will guide the acceptance of advertising.

Print advertising will be unrestricted except the following ads will not be accepted:

1. Ads for products/services/organizations/businesses/events whose goals conflict with those of ICEA.
   
2. Ads for products/publications/programs which ICEA sells and are listed in the most recent issue of ICEA Bookmarks or International Journal of Childbirth Education unless ICEA is listed as a source.
   
3. Ads for products/publications/programs which ICEA sells and which are offered for a cost lower than that published in the most recent issue of ICEA Bookmarks or International Journal of Childbirth Education will not be accepted.
   
4. Ads with the purpose of influencing opinions on social or political policies except when in concert with ICEA's goals or positions.
   
5. Ads for ICEA campaign purposes.
   
6. Advertising activities or products which are hazardous to the health of pregnant women and their babies.
   
7. Ads for programs that serve as training sessions for other international/national certifying bodies.
   
8. ICEA will not accept advertising for breastmilk substitutes or complimentary food.
   
9. ICEA will accept advertising for feeding bottles, nipples and/or pacifiers under the following conditions:
   

• The superiority of breastfeeding is mentioned.
  
• No free samples, coupons for free products, or other material inducements are included.
  
• No comparison is made between the design of the feeding bottle, nipple or pacifier and the breast.
  
• Someone other than the infant's mother is shown giving the feeding bottle/pacifier to the infant.
  
• The potential risks associated with introducing feeding bottles/nipples/pacifiers to breastfeeding infants before four weeks of age is noted.
  
• Scientific claims are backed up by well-documented scientific evidence.
  
• Feeding bottles do not contain infant formula.
  
• Infants shown in advertising are older than eight weeks of age.
  
• ICEA reserves the right to decline or prohibit any print advertising which in its judgment is inappropriate, this reservation being all-inclusive as to person, things, printed matter, products and conduct.