Increasing Breastfeeding Rates
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Protection, promotion, and support of breastfeeding are critical public health needs. Healthy People 2020 sets goals for increasing both breastfeeding initiation and duration and decreasing disparities in these rates across all populations in the United States. Increased breastfeeding is also a major program area of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) State-Based Nutrition and Physical Activity Program to Prevent Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases.
A Healthy People 2020 goal is to increase the proportion of mothers who breastfeed their babies:
- In the early postpartum period to 75%
- At 6 months to 50%
- At 12 months to 25%
Many types of interventions have been implemented in the United States and elsewhere to try to increase breastfeeding initiation, to increase exclusive breast-feeding, and to increase its duration. Choosing the most appropriate intervention for a given setting and population can be challenging given the breadth of possibilities. In an effort to support and assist states in making informed decisions and allocating funds wisely, CDC, with input from external experts in both breastfeeding and public health interventions, compiled this guide.
Learn about NICHQ's work to increase breastfeeding rates.
