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U.S. Breastfeeding Committee
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  • USBC Membership
    • USBC Member Directory
    • Join USBC
    • Membership Benefits & FAQs
    • Membership Fee Schedules
    • Membership Interest Form
    • Creating Space Scholarship
  • Policy & Actions
    • Constellation Work Groups >
      • Infant & Young Child Feeding in Emergencies Constellation
      • Disrupting Formula Marketing Constellation
      • Lactation Support Providers Constellation
      • Pasteurized Donor Human Milk Constellation
      • Workplace Support Constellation
    • Active Legislation
    • Breastfeeding Policy Map
    • Existing Legislation
    • Federal Policies, Programs, & Initiatives
    • PUMP Act >
      • The PUMP Act Explained
      • PUMP Act Implementation Resources
      • Know Your Rights-PUMP-Act--PWFA
    • Federal Appropriations for Breastfeeding
    • Take Action
    • Letters & Public Comments
  • Resources
    • USBC Directories >
      • USBC Member Directory
      • Affiliated Coalitions Directory
      • Equity Champions Directory
    • Constellation Developed Resources
    • Breastfeeding In Emergencies >
      • Infant Formula Recall and Shortage
    • Lactation Support Provider Training Directory >
      • Lactation Support Providers Pathways
    • Learning Opportunities
    • Monthly Observances
    • Image Gallery Access
    • State Breastfeeding Reports
    • USBC Data Survey
  • News & Events
    • Annual Conference >
      • 2023 NBCC Agenda
      • 2023 Sponsors & Exhibitors
      • 2023 Conference Awardees
    • Events Calendar
    • USBC in the Media
    • USBC News & Blogs
    • Weekly Wire Newsletter
  • About Us
    • About the USBC
    • Explaining our "Why"
    • Our Team
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uSBC News & Blogs

2023 archives
September
  • 9/28/2023: using data to inform infant and young child feeding in emergency preparedness systems
  • 9/20/2023: Reviving identity caucuses at the usbc: we want to hear from you!
  • 9/19/2023: Reflecting on national breastfeeding month 2023 wins
August
  • 8/25/2023: FY24 appropriations: what recent senate bills mean for infant feeding
July
  • 7/28/2023: Fy24 appropriations: what the house and senate bills mean for infant feeding
  • ​7/25/2023: taking the time for celebration: the pump act and pwfa are law!
  • ​7/21/2023: news from the chair: change is good
march
  • 3/23/2023: fiscal year 2024 president's budget: what it means for the lactation field
  • 3/1/2023: renewing the usbc commitment to equity as we seek to grow the usbc membership network
february
  • ​2/16/2023: join the usbc welcome congress campaign!
  • ​2/15/2023: the u.s. breastfeeding committee launches the creating space scholarship
  • ​2/8/2023: open letter to congress: new research highlights critical need for strong policies to leverage the value of breastfeeding
january
  • ​1/12/2023: fy23 federal budget signed into law: what it means for infant feeding
  • ​1/6/2023: pump for nursing mothers act signed into law
2022 archives
december
  • 12/24/2022: pump for nursing mothers act will soon be signed into law
  • 12/8/2022: usda proposes new wic package
november
  • ​11/1/2022: the usbc membership steps into a new opportunity for connection: launching the first food connection hub & taking a mission moment with monica esparza
october
  • 10/27/2022: 2022 impact report: breastfeeding policy priorities
  • 10/24/2022: a closer look at the 2022 cdc breastfeeding report card
september
  • 9/29/2022: STATEMENT ON WHITE HOUSE CONFERENCE ON HUNGER, NUTRITION, AND HEALTh
august
  • 8/24/2022: fy23 appropriations: what the senate bills mean for infant feeding
  • 8/18/2022: a consideration of choice (in the absence of systemic supports)*
​july
  • 7/14/2022: fy23 appropriations: what the house bills mean for infant feeding
june
  • 6/24/2022: the senate failed to pass the pump act on wednesday. that hurts. but it doesn't mean the fight is over.
  • 6/2/2022: the four pillars of infant nutrition security in the united states
​may
  • 5/19/2022: infant formula recall and shortage: resources
  • 5/13/2022: calling your senator about the pump act is easy! here's how.
january
  • 1/26/2022: call for proposals for the 2022 conference!
  • 1/3/2022: impact report: 2021 breastfeeding policy priorities
​
2021 archives
DECEMBER  
  • 12/9/2021: 2020 state and territory breastfeeding reports now available!
  • 12/3/2021: join usbc on our equity journey​
november
  • 11/12/2021: 2020 usbc annual report released!​​​​
october​
  • 10/22/2021: protecting parents, babies, public health, employers, and the economy: a bipartisan case for the pump for nursing mothers act
  • 10/22/2021: pump for nursing mothers act passes with bipartisan support in u.s. house of representatives
  • 10/20/2021: breaking news: the pump act is going to the house floor for a vote this friday
september
  • 9/30/2021: reflections on national preparedness month and the pandemic
  • 9/28/2021: join the nationwide pump act call-in day
  • ​9/27/2021: the house is voting on the pump act this week. join the week of action.
  • 9/26/2021: pump act week of action partner toolkit
  • 9/10/2021: reflections on national breastfeeding month 2021: every step of the way
august
  • 8/24/2021: 8 questions answered by the usbc policy team
july
  • 7/29/2021: Cdc awards usbc a five-year grant to coordinate a national approach to improve the infant feeding landscape
  • 7/22/2021: fiscal year 2022 house agriculture and dhs appropriations reports released
  • 7/16/2021: fiscal year 2022 house labor-hhs appropriations report released
may
  • 5/24/2021: reclaiming our tradition: aanhpi breastfeeding week 2021
2020 archives
AUGUST
  • 8/31/2020: celebrating #bbw20: revive. restore. reclaim!
  • 8/21/2020: native breastfeeding week is over, but the work continues
  • ​8/7/2020: happy national breastfeeding month! we are many voices united #nbm2020

A Closer Look at the 2022 CDC Breastfeeding Report Card

10/24/2022

10 Comments

 
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Every two years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) releases the Breastfeeding Report Card which brings together key data on national, state, and territorial breastfeeding practices, as well as the environmental factors that are proven to impact breastfeeding outcomes. This report allows us to track U.S. infant feeding practices across time and helps us understand the gaps and barriers that influence human milk feeding.
The ​critical insights from the Breastfeeding Report Card help guide efforts from government agencies, non-profit organizations, coalitions, educational institutions, and stakeholders from across the field of public health to design interventions and strengthen systems of support. Given the long-lasting positive health outcomes for children and those who lactate, the far-reaching impact on public health, and the widespread consensus from leading pediatric and medical associations, there is no doubt that our work together to build a landscape of support for breastfeeding families is essential.
 
The 2022 Breastfeeding Report Card showed a persistence of racial and ethnic disparities, a need for strengthened systems of support for families, and while not statistically significant, a slight decline in any and exclusive breastfeeding rates. We will take a closer look at key findings from this year’s report to help inform our work to improve breastfeeding practices and supports.

Breastfeeding Report Card, 2022

The most recent report card looks at breastfeeding rates among children born in 2019. This data was collected across 2020–2021, and the CDC notes that it may partially reflect breastfeeding duration and exclusivity during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to statistics on breastfeeding initiation and duration, this year’s report included data on maternity care practices, workplace policies, and childcare practices.

To assess how maternity care practices are impacting lactation outcomes, the report card includes state scores from the Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) survey and the portion of births that occurred at Baby-Friendly designated facilities. The 2022 Breastfeeding Report Card also features two new support indicators:
  • Paid family and medical leave (PFML): This indicator identifies whether a state has enacted a paid family and medical leave program.
  • State Early Care and Education (ECE) Licensing Breastfeeding Support Score: This indicator measures how state licensing regulations support and encourage breastfeeding among families served by the center.
​
Key Findings

Most Infants Initiate Breastfeeding
The latest data shows that 83.2% of infants initiate breastfeeding with 24.9% of babies exclusively breastfeeding at 6 months of age. When we look at these rates from 2007 to 2022, we see that there is a relatively steady increase in breastfeeding rates across time. However, as depicted in Figure 1, we see a slight decrease in the most recently published report in 2022. This shift is not statistically significant, however the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee and our partners are closely following how this data changes over time.
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Figure 1. Percentage of Babies in the U.S. That Were Ever Breastfed & Exclusively Breastfed Through 6 Months, As Reported in CDC Breastfeeding Report Cards Across Time

​Racial & Ethnic Disparities Persist
CDC data shows that breastfeeding rates still vary significantly by race and ethnicity. Among children born in 2019, Non-Hispanic White infants were breastfed at higher rates than Non-Hispanic Black infants and Hispanic infants. At six months, more white infants (26.9%) were exclusively breastfed, in comparison to their Black (19.1%) and Hispanic (23.5%) counterparts. Disparities in access to lactation-supportive environments are creating and perpetuating disparities in breastfeeding rates and associated health inequities. The lactation field must prioritize closing these gaps.
 
Rates Plummet as Babies Grow
This year's report continues to show a significant drop in breastfeeding rates as the child ages. While the majority of infants initiated breastfeeding, by six months of age this number dropped drastically. This discrepancy demonstrates why the strength and accessibility of systems of support at the policy, organizational, and community levels are so critical for improving breastfeeding duration and exclusivity.
 
Systems of Care for Families Need to be Strengthened
These outcomes highlight the need to continue to strengthen the support landscape so that families can make informed decisions and are set up for success. No baby should ever go hungry, and the policies that shape and influence a family's experience can make a difference in protecting the nutrition security of infants.
"Policy, systems, and environmental changes that address breastfeeding barriers, such as better maternity care practices, paid leave policies, and supportive ECE centers, can help to improve breastfeeding rates and reduce disparities. When systems of care align to support breastfeeding, states and their communities are better able to address barriers so that families benefit from supportive environments and achieve their breastfeeding goals."  (Breastfeeding Report Card, 2022)
​Research clearly demonstrates that maternity care practices have a significant and lasting impact on infant feeding outcomes. The report card continues to include mPINC scores, formula supplementation rates, and the percentage of births taking place in Baby-Friendly designated hospitals.

In the absence of a national paid family and medical leave program, many mothers and parents have no choice but to return to work quickly after the birth of their child, often before they have established a strong feeding routine. This year’s report card newly identifies which states have enacted statewide paid family and medical leave (PFML) programs and how many weeks are covered for new parents. Currently, 12 states have passed legislation to create PFML programs. However, four of these were recently passed and have not yet begun paying benefits.
 
Many families rely on early childcare providers for their infants as caregivers continue to work or go to school. This year's Breastfeeding Report Card includes scores that rate how strongly state early care and education licensing requirements align with the breastfeeding support standard, with nine states receiving the top score and five states not addressing lactation in any way.
 
Together, these new indicators and the maternity care practices data help paint a clearer picture of the supportive environments that can benefit all families and allow them to provide human milk to their babies.

A Call to Action

The 2022 Breastfeeding Report Card suggests that we can and must do better for our nation's babies. The solutions are clear: we need policy, system, and environmental change to remove the barriers and ensure infants have access to human milk. Human milk feeding is a high-value, low-cost public health intervention that provides a substantial return on investment. Please take action today by urging the President and Vice President to increase funding for breastfeeding in the President's budget request!
10 Comments
Linda Smith
10/25/2022 03:12:44 pm

The "inclusive" language is offensive and hides the actual data. Women / MOTHERS are not breastfeeding as long or as exclusively as in prior years. "FAMILIES" do not breastfeed. Only mothers breastfeed with or without the support of their families.

Reply
Nikia Sankofa, USBC Executive Director
11/1/2022 12:03:58 pm

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee is committed to bringing together a diversity of voices and perspectives to advance policy, systems, and environmental changes that build a landscape of support. We are working to do this through an equity lens to ensure that our work actively addresses the persistent disparities that have plagued marginalized and oppressed communities, and as part of that effort are working hard to open the space for considering how gendered language contributes to these disparities.

We are leaning into this learning while working hard to remain true to the data research we are citing. After careful consideration, we have made some small updates to the blog to better reflect our meaning, including the section you have flagged, with the header “Rates Plummet as Babies Grow.”

We look forward to your feedback on the updates!

Reply
Joyce Brown
10/25/2022 03:53:58 pm

There should be TV advertisements promoting the PFML so that more mothers will be aware of it and therefore request this time.

Reply
Amy Barcenas
10/26/2022 08:02:29 am

Babies are our future society after the pandemic we owe it to our next world leaders a leg up on life health and support. Studies do show that breast is best ! Let’s give our nations most prized gifts (our children) the best chance !

Reply
Carolyn Honea, IBCLC link
10/26/2022 10:39:21 am

As an "on the ground" IBCLC in private practice, I am see different factors than those named above as the primary drivers of the decrease in breastfeeding rates. Specifically, I lay the blame on increasing emphasis on sleep training, swaddling and schedules that are being promoted by social media influencers and popular programs such as Moms on Call and Taking Cara Babies. In my 11 years as a lactation consultant, the culture that once dabbled in Babywise is now fully inundated with harmful messages coming primarily from social media that babies should sleep through the night without feeding, rapidly decrease their number of daytime feedings as they get older, and be physically restrained from showing feeding cues (ie swaddling) for the majority of the hours of their day. These are the daily life realities I come up against over and over again that are causing breastfeeding rates to drop. I've been telling my colleagues for the past few years to "mark my words - when the CDC publishes data for these years there will be a significant drop in breastfeeding rates." We are just getting started witnessing this decline, as I expect the next few years of data to be even worse. Until these harmful messages are publicly and consistently confronted the reality won't change. Even changes to maternity leave will not dramatically impact rates, as stay at home moms are embracing these messages that lead to lactation failure just as much as working moms. PLEASE listen to the on ground IBCLCs who are seeing this everyday and widen the scope of focus beyond the political to the social and cultural influences.

Carolyn Honea, IBCLC

Reply
Judy Canahuati
11/4/2022 10:19:53 pm

One of the actions for this year for USBC can be to advocate for HHS or CDC to develop a series of PSAs that discuss parenting and babies physiological and psychological needs (almost continuous contact with mother's body and breast during the first months of life -- along with examples of policies and programs that support these such as paid maternal and family leave, Baby and Mother Friendly Hospital care, ECE that is supportive of breastfeeding -- to educate general public on normality of breastfeeding behaviors and how to support them, even in this world where there is much pressure on mothers to go back to work early on. There needs to be massive re-education on these topics and only Federal government has resources and reach to do this. There would definitely be members of Congress that would support increased budget for this.

Reply
Gayle King Whatley link
11/18/2022 09:12:08 am

You talk about improving the disparities in breastfeeding but I want to know how that we can do this!

Reply
Laura Guthrie
6/23/2023 11:10:28 am

By ensuring people in all job sectors and from all economic backgrounds are equally able to coordinate breastfeeding with work requirements.

Reply
new jersey no fault state divorce link
2/15/2023 01:53:21 am

Thank you for sharing a post, nice to read it, good work keep going

Reply
Lauren
10/18/2023 12:54:41 pm

This was an interesting post in general, but I don't see the two sets of data as comparable. Asking is a baby was ever breastfed and comparing that to if they were "exclusively breastfed over six months" and saying that rates plummet doesn't make sense. There are a variety of reasons why someone may need to give their baby formula for a few days (in my case it was my baby having really low blood sugar when he was born before my milk came in, and having to get an MRI with contrast when he was four months old). In both of these situations we used formula, but even though the baby was 99.9 percent of the time breastfed, we would be classified as "not exclusive breastfed over 6 months". These data are binary, which really doesn't tell us much about what real life looks like.

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