If 90% of US families could comply with current medical guidelines to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months, the US could avoid about $18.5 billion per year in increased health care costs (2014 dollars). 1
The multiple health benefits of exclusive breastfeeding for both the infant and mother are well established. Exclusive breastfeeding includes only breast milk, without any additional food or drink, not even water.
Breast milk is a complete food source and provides all the energy and nutrients that an infant needs for the first months of life. Breast milk provides infant’s protection from various infections, reduces the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and decreases the likelihood of developing obesity and chronic conditions such as diabetes, allergies, and asthma later in life.
The physical connection of breastfeeding provides psychological benefits to both baby and mother, and also provides multiple health advantages to mothers, reducing the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.2
All of the major professional medical organizations for providers of pregnant women and infants recommend that infants be exclusively breastfed for the first six months, followed by continued breastfeeding with complementary foods until at least 12 months.3
Family members, health care professionals and staff from medical facilities, workplaces, childcare and schools are encouraged to promote and support breastfeeding, the normal infant feeding method. There are many potential actions that can be taken to improve breastfeeding rates. The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding4 provides 20 recommended actions to promote optimum infant feeding through public health.
While breastfeeding rates generally have been on the rise, and 92% of California infants start out with any breastfeeding, only 43% are exclusively breastfeeding at one month of age and 27% at three months. Further, disparities persist in breastfeeding intention, in-hospital initiation, and continuation.3
Although a majority of women initiate breastfeeding in California, few are able to meet the goal of exclusive breastfeeding through six months postpartum and significant disparities persist.
To increase breastfeeding rates, it is imperative that mothers receive information and support from the start in order to initiate and maintain breastfeeding through infancy. To succeed, mothers must overcome physical and emotional challenges which impose structural barriers that leave certain groups, particularly women of color, with less support to truly make this choice. Overlapping structural inequities in housing, healthcare, and employment are often prevalent in certain communities, leading to disparities in breastfeeding outcomes.
New mothers are more likely to breastfeed exclusively when hospitals develop supportive breastfeeding policies such as facilitating breastfeeding within one hour after birth, keeping mothers and infants together, and limiting non-medically indicated formula supplementation. Mothers sometimes discontinue breastfeeding due to lack of insurance coverage for, or limited availability of, lactation consultants or breast pumps; or due to other barriers such as unsupportive workplaces. Continued breastfeeding is more likely to occur when women have support from family, health care providers and insurers, employers, child care providers, and communities.5
Data Snapshot: Trends and Disparities
White women are twice as likely to exclusively breastfeed at three months postpartum compared to other race/ethnic groups.
Women with lower household income are less likely to exclusively breastfeed at three months postpartum than women with higher household income.
Exclusive breastfeeding varies significantly by county. Several Southern and Central Valley counties had worse exclusive breastfeeding rates than the rest of California.
Exclusive Breastfeeding 3 Months after Delivery, by Demographic Category
Exclusive Breastfeeding 3 Months after Delivery, by County
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