The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has released their 2022 Breastfeeding Report Card. Every two years, the CDC releases key data on national, state, and territorial breastfeeding rates, as well as environmental factors that impact breastfeeding outcomes. This report allows us to track U.S. infant feeding practices and understand gaps and barriers to help inform our work to improve breastfeeding practices and supports.
Two New Support Indicators:
The CDC’s Breastfeeding Report Card includes indicators to assess how maternity care practices are impacting lactation outcomes. Maternity care practices and supportive environments have a significant and lasting impact on infant feeding outcomes. This year’s 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
The 2022 Breastfeeding Report Card showed a persistence of racial and ethnic disparities, a need for strengthened systems of support for families, and a slight decline in any and exclusive breastfeeding rates (although not statistically significant).
- Most Infants Initiate Breastfeeding
Among infants born in 2019, 83.2% of infants started out breastfeeding.
- Racial and Ethnic Disparities Persist
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 and Hispanic infants. Disparities in access to supportive environments are perpetuating these disparities in breastfeeding rates.
- Drop in Breastfeeding Rates as Child Ages
Many families do not breastfeed for as long as they intend to. There is a steady decline in any and exclusive breastfeeding rates month-to-month. While the majority of infants initiate breastfeeding, breastfeeding rates drop drastically by 6 months of age (from 83.2% to 24.9% in exclusive breastfeeding).
- Systems of Care for Families Need to be Strengthened
The data in the Breastfeeding Report Card highlights a need for strengthened systems at the policy, organizational, and community levels. This includes better maternity care practices and paid leave policies so that families are set up for success. The policies that shape and influence a family’s decision and experience of breastfeeding can make a difference in protecting nutrition security of infants.
“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)