The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its 2018 Breastfeeding Report Card. How is the U.S. and Texas doing when it comes to reaching the Healthy People 2020 goals that were established in 2010 by this committee that has representatives from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Education.
In many areas, we’re meeting those goals. 83.2 percent of infants in the U.S. have been breastfed at least once. (the goal was 81.9 percent). We’ve also more than met the proportion of infants who are breastfed at a year (35.9 percent are); and the percentage at three months (46.9 percent are). The six-month mark we didn’t quite hit the mark in infants who are breast fed (57.6 percent vs. the goal of 60.6 percent) or those that are exclusively breastfed at that time (24.9 percent vs. the goal of 25.5 percent). We also didn’t do as well as hoped in the percentage of infants given formula before 2 days old (17.2 percent instead of 14.2 percent).
How did Texas do when it came to these numbers?
- 85.0 percent of infants were ever breastfed
- 56.6 percent were breastfeeding at 6 months
- 35.2 percent were breastfeeding at 12 months
- 48.0 percent were exclusively breastfeeding at 3 months
- 24.1 percent were exclusively breastfeeding at 6 months
- 18.3 percent of infants were given formula before 2 days of age
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What can you do to encourage a new mom to breastfeed?
- Make sure she checks out what kind of support she’ll receive at her hospital when it comes to lactation consulting. Hint: It’s usually 3 a.m. when you need a consultant. Babies feed just great from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- She can also ask the hospital what percentage of their infants are given formula vs. babies that are exclusively breastfed while there.
- Feed her. Bring her healthy meals and plenty of water.
- Offer to take care of her other child, help around the house or hold the baby while she takes a nap.
- If she’s a work colleague, link her to another mom who has been pumping at work, who can help her make the transition back to work easier.
- Link her to your local La Leche League.
- Connect her to Mothers’ Milk Bank to become a milk donor.
- Realize that sometimes there are reasons why breastfeeding wasn’t the right choice for that mom and baby and do not pass judgement.
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