Evidence Level: Mixed. Aligns with MCHbest strategy "Group Education" [https://www.mchevidence.org/tools/strategies/4-3.php]. Find other NPM 4 family-level strategies [https://www.mchevidence.org/tools/strategies/search/results.php?NPM=4&Target_Audience=Mother/family%20(through%20home%20visitors,%20community%20health%20workers,%20and%20health%20care%20providers)] in MCHbest.
Alignment with field-based evidence through Innovation Hub: Aligns with Innovation Hub's Starting Out Right Curriculum and Women's Health Education Navigation (WHEN) programs. https://amchp.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/Starting-Out-Right-Curriculum.pdf https://amchp.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/WHEN-Implementation-Handout_Final_Promising.pdf
Measurement Quadrant: Quadrant 4: Measuring quality of effect (% of "is anyone better off")
Service Type: Enabling services level of pyramid
Essential Public Health Services: 3. Inform and educate the public
Service Recipient: Activities directed to families/children/youth
Goal: Improve the rate of breastfeeding by encouraging mothers to breastfeed within the first six months after birth.
Numerator: Number of infants are breastfed within first six months of birth.
Denominator: Total number of live births.
Significance: One of the most highly effective preventive measures a mother can take to protect the health of her infant and herself is to breastfeed. However, in the U.S., while 75 percent of mothers start out breastfeeding, only 13 percent of babies are exclusively breastfed at the end of six months. Additionally, rates are significantly lower for African-American infants.
Breast milk provides all of the nutrients an infant needs for the first six months. Additionally, it has immunological properties that protect infants against common diseases, such as diarrhea and pneumonia, which are important causes of infant morbidity and mortality. Breastfeeding also presents advantages to the mother’s health, increasing the postpartum infertility period, helping them return to their pregestational weight, and reducing their risk of developing breast 6 and ovarian cancer.
Despite the benefits of breastfeeding, the decision to breastfeed is a personal one, and a mother should not be made to feel guilty if she cannot or chooses not to breastfeed. The success rate among mothers who want to breastfeed can be greatly improved through active support from their families, friends, communities, clinicians, health care leaders, employers and policymakers.
Given the importance of breastfeeding for the health and well-being of mothers and children, it is critical that we take action across the country to support breastfeeding.
Data Sources and Data Issues: SILAS and Postpartum Data
Year: 2023
Unit Type: Percentage, Unit Number: 100