More Women Breastfeeding Babies, but Not Long Enough

More women are exclusively breastfeeding their babies than in 2000, according to current statistics about breastfeeding prevalence in the United States found in an August 3 Center for Disease Control (CDC) report.

This is good news since breastfeeding is linked with positive health, nutritional, developmental, psychological, social, economic, and environmental benefits for both babies and their mothers. However, the report also found that most women stop nursing well before the year recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

By the numbers

The findings, published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, show that approximately 74 percent of U.S. mothers began breastfeeding their newborns, 42 percent breastfed their 6-month-olds, and 21 percent breastfed their children at a year in 2004. Each time showed an increase from 2000, when 71 percent breastfed their newborns, 34 percent breastfed at six months, and only 16 percent still breastfed at one year.

The increase in breastfeeding rates is good news. Rates for exclusive breastfeeding through ages 3 months and 6 months among infants born in 2004 rose from 2000 to 30.5 percent and 11.3 percent, respectively. However, both rates are well below the targets set by Healthy People 2010 of 60 percent and 25 percent.

What it means

The CDC report represents the largest tracking of breastfeeding trends to date, and provides some guidance for areas that need future attention. The release of the report coincides with World Breastfeeding Week, and its message about health benefits for extended breastfeeding dovetail with the effort to promote breastfeeding in the initial hour after birth. The CDC reports that factors influencing breastfeeding include maternity care practices and supportive interactions with health care workers. As such, education at the health care level is an important influence for women and babies.

The rates of exclusively breastfed infants were significantly lower among black infants and infants born to unmarried mothers. Older age, urban residence, higher education, and higher income of mothers all were positively associated with exclusive breastfeeding.

The lower rates of breastfeeding among low-income women can likely be attributed to the increased stressors of employment including employer discouragement for the time and privacy to pump, difficulty storing and transporting milk, low milk supply, and personal exhaustion. The report specifically noted that "lack of breastfeeding education and supportive social networks, aggressive marketing by formula manufacturers, and cultural environments that do not value breastfeeding or promote positive images of breastfeeding women" explains breastfeeding rates among black women.

Making progress

Each additional woman who decides to breastfeed her child for a longer period of time is a positive step toward improving children's health outcomes. Initiatives such as World Breastfeeding Week, the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, and Healthy People 2010 education efforts each aid in increasing breastfeeding rates.

Sources:

CDC Weekly Report

American Academy of Pediatrics