The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Thursday
that breast-feeding rates had increased across all race and ethnic
groups from 2000 to 2008 in the United States.
"Breast-feeding
is good for the mother and for the infant -- and the striking news here
is, hundreds of thousands more babies are being breast-fed than in past
years, and this increase has been seen across most racial and ethnic
groups," CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden said in a press release. "Despite
these increases, many mothers who want to breast-feed are still not
getting the support they need from hospitals, doctors, or employers. We
must redouble our efforts to support mothers who want to breast-feed."
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By Sept., some NYC hospitals to limit baby formulaDuring the eight-year period, the number of mothers who started
breast-feeding went up 4 percentage points. Mothers who were still
breast-feeding at six months increased almost 10 percentage points from
35 percent in 2000 to nearly 45 percent in 2008. The difference between
African American and white mothers who breast-fed also shrunk 8
percentage points during the same time period.
Breast-feeding
provides protections for newborns and infants, according to CDC. Not
only is the milk easier to digest, it can provide valuable antibodies,
cells and hormones to help protect a child from illness. Babies who are
fed breast milk have lower rates of ear infections, diarrhea,
respiratory infections, asthma, type 2 diabetes and necrotizing
entercolitis (which attacks the gastrointestinal tract in premature
infants) than formula-fed children. Other research suggests the breast
milk may reduce the chance of developing type 1 diabetes, childhood
leukemia, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and atopic dermatitis (a
form of infant skin rash). Lower rates of obesity have been observed in
some studies, but the data has recently come into question according to a
statement published in the New England Journal of Medicine on Jan. 30.
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The World Health Organization
recommends that babies should be exclusively breast-fed for the first
six months of life, and then receive a combination of breast milk and
easily digestible foods through the age of 2. Research shows that if 90
percent of families exclusively breast fed for 6 months, almost 1,000
infant deaths may be prevented annually and $13 billion would be saved
in medical costs each year, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health.
Infants
who are breast-fed for the first six months have a 72 percent lower
risk of hospitalization for lower respiratory tract infections, a 64
percent reduced risk for nonspecific gastrointestinal tract infections, a
58 percent risk reduction for the intestinal infection necrotizing
enterocolitis in preterm infants, and a 27 percent to 42 percent
reduction in allergic diseases in breast-fed infants, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reported.
Early
breast milk called colostrum has been nicknamed "liquid gold" because
of its thick, yellow appearance and the nutrients and antibodies it
contains. Mature milk, which begins to be produces by the third to fifth
day after giving birth has the appropriate amount of fat, sugar, water
and protein to nourish your child.
In addition, breast-feeding
aids mothers by helping them save money, bond with their child and
settle into the routine of having a new child. It can also lower the
risk of type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and postpartum
depression.
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Despite the increasing rates, the CDC cautioned that more
mothers still need to breast feed. Only 45 percent of mothers are
breast-feeding at six months, and 23 percent continue to 12 months.
African-American mothers still have the lowest rates of continual breast
feeding even though they increased their overall breast feeding rates
by 13 percent.
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Breast Feeding Saves Lives, MoneyScottish mothers claimed in a March 2012 study that a lack of
medical advice, lack of support from their family and a variety of
issues, including confusion on how to use breast pumps, led them to stop
breast-feeding exclusively until six months. The researchers suggested
that women need more help right after birth to encourage and teach them
to breast-feed, as well as continued support three or four months after
having a new child.
Another study released in July 2012 showed
that only 32.4 percent of new mothers who want to try exclusively
breast-feeding their baby for three months or more actually reach that
mark. The authors suggested a "Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative" (BFHI)
that would promote exclusive breast-feeding while infants stayed in the
hospital.
"Hospitals can make a big difference by becoming baby
friendly and insuring that every woman has the best possible chance of
starting breast-feeding," Freiden said in a statement about the CDC
report.
اليوم في 11:08 am من طرف nadaroyal
موضوع: CDC: More US mothers are breast-feeding but overall rates still low 
