Breastfeeding Continues to Increase Into the New Millennium

• Published in: Pediatrics (Evanston) 2002-12, Vol.110 (6), p.1103-1109
• Main Authors: Ryan, Alan S, Wenjun, Zhou, Acosta, Andrew
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Air. Soil. Water. Waste. Feeding; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Breast feeding; Breast Feeding - statistics & numerical data; Breastfeeding & lactation; Demographic aspects; Educational Status; Environment. Living conditions; European Continental Ancestry Group; Female; Forecasting; Forecasts and trends; Health aspects; Hispanic Americans; Humans; Infant; Infant Food - statistics & numerical data; Infant nutrition; Infant, Newborn; Market trend/market analysis; Medical sciences; Milk - statistics & numerical data; Parity; Pediatrics; Population Surveillance; Prevalence; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Socioeconomic Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires; United States
• ISSN: 0031-4005; 1098-4275
• DOI: 10.1542/peds.110.6.1103

To update reported rates of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding through 2001 and to compare rates in 2001 to those from 1996. The Ross Laboratories Mothers Survey (RLMS) is a large, national survey designed to determine patterns of milk feeding during infancy. Questionnaires were mailed each month to a representative sample of mothers when their infant was 1 month of age, 2 months of age, 3 months or age, and so forth. In 1996, approximately 744 000 questionnaires were mailed, and in 2001, 1.4 million questionnaires were mailed. Mothers were asked to recall the type of milk fed to their infant in the hospital, and during each month of age. Two categories of breastfeeding were considered: breastfeeding (human milk or a combination of human milk and formula or cow's milk) and exclusive breastfeeding (only human milk). Rates of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding in the hospital and at 6 months of age were evaluated. In 2001, the prevalence of the initiation of breastfeeding and breastfeeding to 6 months of age in the United States reached their highest levels recorded to date, 69.5% and 32.5%, respectively. Comparing rates in 2001 and 1996, increases in the initiation of breastfeeding and continued breastfeeding to 6 months of age were observed across all sociodemographic groups but were greater among groups that have been historically less likely to breastfeed: women who were black, younger (