On Target, Off Target
by Kate Kahn - 09th August 2007
According to a new report by the CDC the number of women breastfeeding their babies is the highest it's ever been since the government has been tracking it. The report says 74 percent of American women who have given birth since 2004 breastfed their children for at least some period of time. That's basically reaching the government's target of 75 percent.
The lead author of the report, epidemiologist Dr. Celeste Philip says, "We've made quite a bit of progress." One reason, she says, is that women realize there are benefits for their own health as well as that of their baby's.
But, and there is a but, we are falling short in one area. The report found racial and socioeconomic disparities that paint a different picture in terms of success rates. It found that African Americans, teenagers, those living in rural areas, those less educated, those with lower incomes and those who are unmarried mothers, are less likely than others to feed their babies breastmilk exclusively in the first three months.
Why? Maybe it's because these moms are often on their own. They may not have access to the best pre and post natal care, and to lactation consultants. If the government wants to increase those numbers, it has to put its money where its mouth is.
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