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Mass. breastfeeding rates top US levels

E-mail | Print | Comments () Posted by Elizabeth Cooney September 13, 2010 05:00 PM

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It might not be enough to please Gisele Bundchen, but it's progress. The number of babies who start life breastfeeding is climbing in the United States, meeting a national goal of 75 percent.

The Brazilian supermodel and wife of New England Patriot quarterback Tom Brady caused a stir recently when she called for a global law mandating that babies be breastfed for six months, irking women who weren't able to breastfeed or chose not to. But breastfed babies are above the national average in her adopted home state.

More than three out of every four babies born in Massachusetts begin breastfeeding at birth, and half are still breastfeeding at six months old, placing the state just above the national average, according to a government report released today. At 12 months old, Massachusetts babies are also above the national average, but both state and national levels fall below a target of 1 out of 4 babies continuing to breastfeed for one year.

Helping women breastfeed their babies from birth and throughout their first year of life is a policy goal of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which issued the report card. State rates ranged from a high of 90 percent of babies starting life breastfeeding in Utah to a low of 53 percent in Mississippi. Rates have been rising for babies who are breastfed at birth, from 71 percent in 2000, but continuing to breastfeed has stayed the same for three years in a row. Today’s report reflects data gathered in 2007.

Oregon leads with 62 percent of babies breastfeeding at 6 months and is tied with Vermont with 40 percent of babies breastfeeding at 12 months. Louisiana was lowest at 6 months, with 20 percent of babies being breastfed, and Mississippi was again the lowest, with 8 percent at 12 months. In Massachusetts, 23 percent of babies are still breastfed at 12 months, just above the national level of 22 percent.

Breast milk is considered superior to formula because it is easier for babies to digest and contains antibodies from their mothers that can protect them from infections. Research has also shown that breastfed babies are less likely than formula-fed babies to become overweight or obese during childhood and adolescence.

Hospital care can encourage breastfeeding and workplace policies can support women as they return to their jobs and continue to breastfeed, Dr. William Dietz, director of the CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, said in a statement issued with the report.

“We need to direct even more effort toward making sure mothers have the support they need in hospitals, workplaces, and communities to continue breastfeeding beyond the first few days of life, so they can make it to those six- and 12-month marks," he said.

The CDC also released figures for exclusive breastfeeding, meaning babies had nothing else to eat or drink. For Massachusetts babies, those rates are 38 percent at 3 months old and 21 percent at 6 months old. The national rates are 33 percent and 13 percent.

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White Coat Notes covers the latest from the health care industry, hospitals, doctors offices, labs, insurers, and the corridors of government. Chelsea Conaboy previously covered health care for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Write her at cconaboy@boston.com. Follow her on Twitter: @cconaboy.

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