According to a survey conducted by Brigham Young University which reviewed data on more than 1,000 women with young children (results were published in the August, 2001 issue of "Pediatrics"):
- African American women are only 40% as likely to breastfeed as non-AA women.
- The infant mortality rate among AA babies is 1.3% higher than that of non-AA women, possibly due to the low percentage of AA moms who breastfeed.
According to a survey conducted in 1998 called "
The Health and Human Services Blueprint for Action on Breastfeeding":
- Only 45% of African American mothers breastfeed their babies, for even a short period of time.
- Only 19% of AA mothers reported breastfeeding their children past six months of age.
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Overall, breastfeeding rates have increased to 35% among women of all races, up from 5% in the mid-eighties, so we're making some progress!
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommend mothers breastfeed their babies for at LEAST 12 months, with breastmilk as the only source of nutrition for the first SIX months!
To learn more:
http://www.africana.com/DailyArticles/index_20001206.htm
http://www.aap.org/advocacy/archives/augbreast.htm
