May 23, 2008

The number of new mothers breastfeeding their infants is at the highest rate nationally in more than a decade.

Survey results published in April by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show about 77 percent of new mothers breastfeed their infants, at least briefly. However, the percentage of infants breastfeeding at 6 months of age has remained unchanged and is significantly lower than goals set by United States government agencies.

Researchers attribute the increase in initial breastfeeding in part to the efforts of medical groups and government agencies to educate mothers about the benefits of breastfeeding and the risks associated with formula feeding.

The study shows that breastfeeding among non-Hispanic black infants is at 65 percent; for Mexican-American infants, 80 percent; and for non-Hispanic white infants, 79 percent.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommend infants be breastfed exclusively for the first six months of life. The AAP recommends breastfeeding be continued through at least the first year of life and beyond, with complementary foods rich in iron gradually introduced around six months of age. ACOG also notes that continuing to breastfeed beyond six months is beneficial.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) also recommend six months of that exclusive breastfeeding. AAFP recommends breastfeeding be continued with the addition of complementary foods throughout the first year and notes that it should continue beyond the first year for as long as mutually desirable by mother and child. WHO recommends continued breastfeeding through two years of age, with the addition of complementary foods.