FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Karen Peters
PHONE: (310) 374-1012
E-MAIL: kpeters@BreastfeedLA.org
CALIFORNIA RANKS IN THE TOP FOURTH IN US
BREASTFEEDING RATES
Local Ad
Council Campaign Breastfeeding Demonstration Site Offers Community
Breastfeeding Support
September 16, 2004 - According to a
recent study published by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), breastfeeding rates in California during a child’s
first year of life ranked high. Other states in the
West ranked higher than California.
The
American Academy of Pediatrics, US Department of Health and Human
Services and leading medical and pediatric organizations recommend
that babies be fed nothing but breast milk for the first six months
of life. The national average for mothers who exclusively
breastfeed their babies for at least six months is low – 14.2
percent. In California, the rate for exclusive breastfeeding
is also very low – 16.2% at six months. Possible explanations for
these low rates are hospital routines that interfere with
breastfeeding, concern about returning to work, thinking that
formula is just as good as breastmilk, and embarrassment to
breastfeed in public.
The new
breastfeeding data were gathered as part of CDC’s 2003 National
Immunization Survey (NIS), which surveyed mothers in 50 states, the
District of Columbia, and selected geographic areas within the
states. The survey revealed that six states – Hawaii, Idaho,
Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Washington – met all of the Healthy
People 2010 objectives for breastfeeding:
-
Seventy-five percent of new mothers
initiate breastfeeding;
-
Fifty percent continued to
breastfeed for at least six months;
-
Twenty-five percent continued to
breastfeed for at least 12 months.
California was one of the fourteen states that achieved the 75%
initiation rate.
Four
states met the objective of 50% of mothers continuing to breastfeed
for at least six months. California was below that objective at
45.6%.
Eight
states met or exceeded the objective of 25% of mothers continuing to
breastfeed for at least 12 months. California was above that
objective at 25.1%.
“I
am very encouraged about California’s breastfeeding initiation rates
especially given the documented evidence that shows links between
breastfeeding and a reduced risk of infant mortality and childhood
illness and disease. However, I am very concerned about
California’s low rates of exclusive breastfeeding. Childhood
obesity and overweight may be reduced by exclusively breastfeeding
for at least six months,” said Wendy Slusser, MD, Breastfeeding Task
Force of Greater Los Angeles, Department of Pediatrics, UCLA and
Venice Family Clinic.
The survey
also confirmed previous findings that Latinas, African Americans and
Asian/Pacific Islanders had consistently lower breastfeeding rates than
Whites. The highest initiation rates were Whites (90%). Latinas born
outside the United State were more likely to initiate breastfeeding
(86%) than Latinas born in the US (72%). Asian/Pacific Islander
initiated breastfeeding at 78%. African Americans had the lowest
breastfeeding initiation rates at 63%.
Racial/Ethnic disparities worsen with lower breastfeeding rates at
six and 12 months.
Exceeding the Healthy People 2010 objective of 50% at six months
were Whites (62%) and Foreign-Born Latinas (58%). However, below
that objective were Asian/Pacific Islanders (37%), US-Born Latinas
(34%) and African-Americans (27%).
At 12
months the Healthy People 2010 objective is 25%. Whites (36%) and
Foreign-Born Latinas (36%) exceeded that goal. However, below that
objective were Asian/Pacific Islanders (18%), US-Born Latinas (16%)
and African-Americans (14%).
Source: Breastfeeding Practices, LA County Department of Health
Services, March 2004.
Both
babies and mothers gain many benefits from breastfeeding according
to CDC and local experts. Breast milk is easy to digest and
contains antibodies that can protect infants from bacterial and
viral infections. Breastfed babies have fewer bouts of diarrhea,
ear infections and respiratory infections. Breastfed children have
reduced risk of Type 1 diabetes, obesity, overweight, and leukemia.
Breastfed children score higher on cognitive and intelligence
tests. Research indicates that women who breastfeed their babies
may also have lower rates of certain breast and ovarian cancers.
Nursing mothers also burn more calories, making it easier for them
to return to their pre-pregnancy weight.
Local Breastfeeding Outreach
The Breastfeeding Task Force of Greater
Los Angeles is working to increase breastfeeding rates in southern
California. It is one of eighteen U.S. cities selected as a
site of a Community Based Demonstration Project (CDP) to work on the
National Breastfeeding Awareness Campaign in partnership with the
Office on Women's Health (OWH) in the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services.
The CDP
is working in coordination with the Office on Women’s Health and the
Advertising Council to implement the National Breastfeeding
Awareness Campaign at the local level and to increase breastfeeding
rates in the U.S. The campaign, which was
launched in June 2004, is
promoting breastfeeding, especially
among first-time parents (mothers and fathers) who might not
normally breastfeed their baby. The overall goal of the
campaign is to meet the Healthy People breastfeeding objectives:
increase the proportion of mothers who exclusively breastfeed their
babies in the early postpartum period to 75% and those within 6
months postpartum to 50% by the year 2010.
The
Breastfeeding Task Force of Greater Los Angeles is
· Offering referrals to
lactation consultation, peer counseling, and mother-to-mother
support groups, pre and post birth breastfeeding workshops for
mothers, fathers, and other family members;
· Disseminating
breastfeeding guidelines and resources for business community and
childcare providers
· Providing continuing
education for healthcare providers, lactation consultants,
breastfeeding educators, and peer counselors who provide maternal
and child care on the basics of lactation, breastfeeding counseling,
and in-service training;
· Providing a free helpline (888-278-6455) for referrals to Lactation
Specialists who can respond to breastfeeding questions and provide
resource materials. The hours of operation are Monday through
Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, in English and Spanish.
· Providing a free website (www.breastfeedla.org)
with resources for parents and health care providers.
|
State |
Ever
Breastfeeding |
Bfeeding at 6 months |
Bfeeding at 12 months |
Exclusive bfeeding[i]
at 3 months |
Exclusive bfeeding at 6 months |
California |
83.7 |
45.6 |
25.1 |
53.5 |
16.2 |
Source: 2003
National Immunization Survey, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services
[i]
Exclusive breastfeeding is defined in this study as only
breastmilk and water - no solids or other liquids
