One million babies are not breastfed each year: Perspectives on breastfeeding and infant nutrition

Thursday, November 07, 2013 — Concurrent Symposia Session III
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.	FAES Academic Center lower-level Classroom 3

Chair

Tonse Raju, NICHD

Program

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 25 percent of four million infants born each year in the US are not breastfed; only 13 percent of mothers who initiate breastfeeding continue to exclusively breastfeed at six months. The rates for African Americans are even lower. In Mississippi, where 40 percent of children are obese or overweight, 54 percent are not breastfed. In this symposium, members from the Breastfeeding and Human Lactation Research SIG will address many issues related to breastfeeding and infant nutrition. The topics covered: 1) an overview of the benefits of breastfeeding to infants and mothers; national rates and trends; the Infant Feeding Practices Study II results; and the 2011 Call to Action on Breastfeeding by the US Surgeon General; 2) new dietary guidelines for infants from birth-to-24 months; and 3) the social and demographic issues concerning breastfeeding, racial disparities, and some federal efforts to rectify these problems.

Parity and birth weight in a longitudinal consecutive pregnancy cohort; FARE Award Winner
Stefanie Hinkle, NICHD

Breastfeeding in the USA perspective
Tonse Raju, NICHD

B-24 dietary guidelines: What do they say, and what are the unresolved research issues
Daniel Raiten, NICHD

Social and demographic barriers, racial disparities, and solutions
Rosalind King, NICHD

Influence of breastfeeding exposure on attitudes, intentions, and self-efficacy
Christine Rogers, NIBIB