Breastfeeding Rates Need Improvement
Too Few Babies Breastfed at 6 and 12 Months, CDC Reports
By Miranda Hitti
WebMD Medical News Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD
on Wednesday, January 05, 2005
"Breastfeeding infants well into their first few months of life is too rare in the U.S., particularly among blacks and socially disadvantaged groups. The news comes from a CDC report that shows breastfeeding rates fall short of national goals. It's not that breastfeeding is uncommon. More than 70% of American babies have been breastfed at some point. That's close to the target set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The department's goal is to have at least 75% of mothers breastfeed their babies in the early postpartum period. The HHS also wants to have at least 50% of mothers continue breastfeeding until their babies are 5 to 6 months old...."