Abstract
BACKGROUND: Breast feeding goals for the United States are well defined. Successful long term breast feeding depends on a successful start. Healthy People 2010 breast feeding goals includes 75% of mothers initiating breast feeding. Wide differences exist in the breast feeding initiation rate amongst the various racial and ethnic groups in the US.
OBJECTIVE: To document breast feeding initiation rates (defined as an infant receiving any amount of breast milk while in hospital after birth) in an inner city hospital serving a predominantly Hispanic and black population with low socio-economic status and poor educational background.
DESIGN/METHODS: All healthy infants delivered at Sinai Children's Hospital room-in with their mothers in the mother-baby unit. A dedicated lactational consultant meets with the mothers following delivery and explains the importance of breast feeding and provides all technical and educational support for a successful breast feeding initiation. Data on breast feeding initiation rate for the various racial groups was prospectively collected for a one year period from July1st 2004 to June 30th 2005.
RESULTS: During the study period, 3664 infants were delivered at Sinai Children's Hospital. 440 infants were admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The remainder of 3324 infants roomed in with their mothers and formed the study population. 2110(65.4%) infants were Hispanic, 1060 (32.9%) were black and 54 (1.7%) were white. The overall breast feeding initiation rate for this population was 68%. The distribution of the breast feeding initiation rate for the various racial groups is shown in the table.
CONCLUSIONS: Breast feeding initiation rate for the black population is well below the national average and well short of the goals set forth for breast feeding in Healthy People 2010. Strenuous public health efforts are needed to improve breast feeding behaviors particularly among the black women and socially disadvantaged groups.
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Srinivasan, H., Srinivasan, G. 48 How Close are we Towards Achieving the Breast Feeding Goals in the Healthy People 2010 Objective?. Pediatr Res 60, 498 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-200610000-00070
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-200610000-00070