75% American Women Breastfeed Their Children
May 1, 2008
Very awesome news today from a new study that shows 75% of this country’s women are nursing their children. Most encouraging was the increased rates among African-American women, who traditionally have not nursed their babies.
The question I have that is not addressed by the study is for how long? Any breast milk is better than no milk, but we know that babies need their mama’s milk for a minimum of one year. Still, it is a start and reflects changes within the culture to encourage women to nurse.
(edited one time by RCMfor stupid grammatical errors.)
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This is good news indeed. The question of “how long?” is a good one to ask. My wife breastfed our four girls, some longer than others. Sometimes she was not able physically (or perhaps mentally? stress?) to continue. She felt some measure of guilt about that. So it is a good question, but a sensitive one.
I knew that breastfeeding was on the rise, thanks to better education, supportive hospitals, and even formulas admitting that they are only 2nd ‘best’. But these numbers are very encouraging. In America, we think after 6 months is long-term, when WHO says AT LEAST a TWO years. Our standard is so low. But I guess this is a start. 13+ months and still going strong!!!
I have read that the baby can acquire the full immunological effects from nursing between 6-9 months. In any event, you have to start supplementing with iron-rich foods at 6 months anyway.
Dale, “I have read that the baby can acquire the full immunological effects from nursing between 6-9 months. ”
I am very skeptical to the claim. I don’t believe it, especially with the numbers of studies that show both babies and mothers receive long term protection from both Type II Diabetes and heart disease the longer they nurse, somewhere in the range of 13 + months.
75% is a great number! I hope it isn’t inflated by the women who breastfeed in the hospital for two days and count that as breastfeeding. I suspect the numbers are actually much lower, more like 60% or so.
In any event you have to start supplementing with iron-rich foods at 6 months anyway.
As far as I understand it, you don’t HAVE to supplement with iron rich foods at 6 months. Breastmilk contains iron in the most absorbable form for a baby’s digestive system. Adding iron supplements or over-feeding “iron rich” foods at an early stage can interfere with a baby’s absorption of the natural iron in the breastmilk and cause them to have hard bowel movements, painful gas or problems with undigested food.
Also, “supplementing” does not mean “replacing.” It means “in addition to.”
The AAP, WHO and most doctors all agree that breastmilk alone is sufficient for all a baby’s nutritional needs up to 12 months old. Introducing solids at 6-7 months and onward is recommended to familiarize a baby with the idea of eating and establish good eating patterns so that by the 12 month mark they can make the switch to getting the bulk of their nutrition from food, with breastmilk rounding out their nutrition and vitamin intake. WHO recommends that children are breastfed for at least two years in developed countries (like the US, Canada and Europe) and beyond 5 years in developing countries where nutrition is a challenge.
I think it’s a lack of information that causes many women to give up on breastfeeding early. They are told their babies MUST have rice cereal at 6 months, or to give their babies meat so they’ll sleep through the night, or that they should switch to cows milk at age 1, or any of a number of other fallacies that interfere with the breastfeeding relationship and replace breastmilk with less nutritious, less digestible, less perfect food.
Breastfeeding can be difficult, and as someone who has had clogged ducts, low supply, thrush and other issues, I completely empathize. But the benefits to the baby are undisputed and absolutely worth sticking it out for as long as possible.
What is the percentage of foreign women who breastfeed?