"Support Crucial for Breastfeeding Mom



(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- New research adds to the growing body of literature that suggests support and encouragement from health care providers is needed to keep women breastfeeding for a longer time.

The current breastfeeding rates fall short of the goals set in the Healthy People 2010 and other national recommendations. Currently, 29 percent of moms are still breastfeeding when their infant is 6 months old. The goal is to raise that number to 50 percent. Researchers from Harvard Pediatric Health Services Research Fellowship Program conducted a study to determine why women decide to stop breastfeeding before their infant is 12 weeks old."