Breastfeeding Differences and Disparities Still Exist

Unfortunately, breastfeeding differences and disparities still exist. In fact, only a generation ago, many women in America would not breastfeed. It was not the "acceptable thing to do." Women were even warned that it was better to formula feed a baby...something we know is not true.

Now, as more and more women are learning the advantages of breastfeeding, more mothers are once again choosing to breastfeed their babies.

However, there are still some rather significant differences between women who nurse and those who choose not to.

What New Research Shows:

Differences by education:

Big improvements in overall breastfeeding rates have occurred over the last ten years among women with at least some college education. Anyone who graduated from college were much more likely than those with less education to nurse their babies. In fact, almost all breastfeeding studies show that educational achievement was the strongest predictor of a woman's choice to breastfeed.

Even if researchers took into account the differences in income and other factors that may affect breastfeeding rates, they find that a mother's education played the most important role in the likelihood that she will breastfeed her children.

Differences between income groups:

Women in the highest income groups are the most likely to breastfeed their babies. These breastfeeding mothers were significantly more likely to breastfeed than were moms in the lower income groups. However, the income differences in breastfeeding rates can be explained mostly by differences in educational levels.

Racial/ethnic Differences:

Although efforts have been made to attempt to close the gaps between Whites and both African Americans and U.S.-born Latinas who breastfeed...the gaps actually appear to be getting wider over the last ten years.

African American women and US-born Latina women are less likely than white mothers to choose to breastfeed.

However, when other factors were considered, the racial disparities in nursing remained significant but appear to be explained by differences in education and income.

The saddest part of these statistics is that we could save lives of so many little ones who die of illnesses that could have been prevented if their mothers would have exclusively breastfed their children for the first few months of life.

It is a shame, because we just need to educate new mothers so that they know these things!

How Can We Change This?

Three simple things: information, support and encouragement. Only when all breastfeeding moms have these things will we see these statistics change.