Babies, Parenting, Child Health, Infant Nutrition

Baby Development – NHANES Survey Finds More Mothers Breastfeed, in First Months at Least

05.01.2008 | 1:05:43 pm | Posted by mummums

By Colleen Hurley, RD, Certified Kid’s Nutrition Specialist

Research studies touting the benefits of breastfeeding are in the news more frequently than ever. Not only can breastfeeding improve the health of both the mother and child, it also helps create that special bond between parent and child; a bond that has also been shown in studies to affect a child’s development for years to come. It seems US mothers are taking heed to all the new the research, as breastfeeding rates have reached an all time high.

parenting, breastfeeding According to a new government survey, approximately 77% of new mothers are breastfeeding their newborn babies. This is the highest rate the US has seen in over a decade. Compared with breastfeeding rates in 1993 and 1994, only 60% of new mothers chose to breastfeed. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), who conducts regular surveys, finds that breastfeeding rates have gradually been rising since the early 90’s.

While breastfeeding advocates and experts rejoiced in the news, they reluctantly noted that the rates of breastfeeding when a baby is 6 months old remain unchanged. This is lower than goals set by government agencies as to how long a mother should continue to breastfeed. In fact, the most recent CDC survey did report breast feeding rates at 6 months due to a lack of data.

Both the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that babies be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life, and to continue nursing while supplementing baby food throughout the first year. The World Health Organization as well as the Academy of Family Physicians also recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, but add that supplemented breastfeeding should continue until the child is age 2.

The latest breastfeeding rates are a result of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), which involves both face to face interviews and physical exams. The increase in breastfeeding rates is largely due to a concerted effort by medical groups and government agencies to educate mothers on the benefits of breastfeeding as well as the risks associated with infant formula. While breastfeeding education has increased, hospitals still continue sending new mothers home with diaper bags containing samples of infant formula, which recent studies have shown contributes to shorter breastfeeding duration.

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