Breastfeeding among newborns is on the rise, according to the 2014 Breastfeeding Report Card released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Among babies born in 2011, 79.2% were breastfed at some point, up from the previous year’s report card in which only 76.5% reached that mark.*
In addition, breastfeeding was reported in 49% at age 6 months and 27% at age 12 months, findings that held steady from the last report. Two in five infants (41%) were exclusively breastfeeding at age 3 months and 19% at age 6 months. These findings are based on the 2012 and 2013 U.S. National Immunization Surveys conducted using calls to families with children aged 19-35 months.
The report card provides data on several goals included as part of the Healthy People 2020 Objectives, which aims to increase the percentage of babies who were ever breastfed to 82%. Additionally, the percentage of breastfeeding babies at age 6 months should be at least 61%, and at 1 year, at least 34%.
The objectives also include ensuring that at least 46% of babies are exclusively breastfeeding at 3 months and that at least 26% are doing so at 6 months.
Currently, 19% of breastfed infants received formula before they were 2 days old, which is higher than the 14% goal for Healthy People 2020.
The report card also shows closer progress toward the goal of 8% of live births occurring at Baby-Friendly facilities, which provide the recommended care for lactating mothers and their babies. Baby-Friendly hospitals must follow the “Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding” and the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes established by the World Health Organization.
In addition to the Baby-Friendly Initiative, the CDC also conducts a survey to establish a Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) score, which measures breastfeeding-related maternity care practices across the United States. The national average in this year’s report card is 75, with numbers that range from a low of 59 in Mississippi to a high of 91 in New Hampshire.
The breastfeeding report card tracks the number of those providing professional lactation support, which has been increasing since the metric was added in 2006. The number of International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) has climbed from 2.1 to 3.5 per 1,000 live births between 2006 and 2013, based on data provided from the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners.
The number of Certified Lactation Counselors (CLCs) also has increased from 2.5 to 3.8 CLCs per 1,000 live births from 2011 to 2013. In addition, at least six CLCs per 1,000 births exist in 19 states, according to the Academy of Lactation Policy and Practice. The number of La Leche League Leaders per 1,000 births is 0.9, about the same as the 0.92 number from last year’s report card.
The research is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. No disclosures were noted.
*Correction, 8/1/2014: A previous version of this article misstated the birth year addressed in the 2014 report.