A newly released US Government report finds that breast-feeding in the US is at its highest mark in at least 20 years with more than three-quarters of new moms nursing their infants.
About 77 percent of new mothers breast-feed, at least briefly, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Experts attributed the rise to education campaigns that emphasize that breast milk is better than formula at protecting babies against disease and childhood obesity. A changing culture that accommodates nursing mothers may also be a factor.
The CDC provided a racial breakdown stating:
- The percentage of black infants who were ever breastfed rose most dramatically, to 65 percent. Only 36 percent were ever breast-fed in 1993-1994, the new study found.
- For whites, the figure rose to 79 percent, from 62 percent. For Mexican-Americans, it increased to 80 percent, from 67 percent.
At least three types of CDC surveys have shown breastfeeding rates moving upward since the early 1990s, officials said.
The latest CDC report found rates of breastfeeding were also lowest among women who are unmarried, poor, rural, younger than 20 and have a high school education or less.
It’s nice to see that moms are open-minded about breastfeeding. Even if they don’t continue for a long period at least the baby got the initial benefit.
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