News article

CDC releases new state breastfeeding report card

August 1, 2007

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a new national breastfeeding Report Card, which not only includes state breastfeeding statistics from the National Immunization Survey, but also new process indicators for each state. In this new set of indicators, states are evaluated for measures including the percentage of infants born in a Baby-Friendly hospital, the number of International Board Certified Lactation Consultants per 1000 live births, the number of full-time equivalent employees working on breastfeeding in the state public health department, and the presence breastfeeding legislation. Massachusetts scored at about the national average for various breastfeeding rates. We are below average in the number of Baby Friendly births, and are one of the four states with no breastfeeding legislation.

The CDC notes that they have changed the way they reported breastfeeding data on the National Immunization Survey, which began in 2004. In the past, breastfeeding rates were reported by the year the data was collected, using children up to 3 years old. This year, they are reported by birth cohort. This year, breastfeeding histories are reported for children born in the year 2004 and are reported as the 2007 data. Because 3 year old children are studied, there is a lag, so that many states whose breastfeeding rates appeared to improve on previous NIS survey now appear lower. This is true for Massachusetts, whose initiation rates improved from 70% to 77% between the 2004 and 2006 surveys, but now are reported as 70%. This different numbers are a reflection of the new reporting process, not necessarily a reflection on progress in breastfeeding.

There are several other new breastfeeding features. The CDC has introduced a cribcard that can be downloaded for free, which can replace the formula industry cribcards used in many hospitals. The CDC crib card includes tips on breastfeeding. The CDC Yellow Book (on Traveler’s Health), now includes a breastfeeding chapter. There is also a summary of CDC data on breastfeeding and pediatric overweight.

For complete information, visit here on the CDC’s website.