The rate for infants receiving formula before 2 days of age is calculated among breastfed infants.īData from Guam, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands are not included in the national average for any breastfeeding rate.ĬData not reported for Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands. Breastfeeding rate indicators are the percentage of infants breastfeeding at the specified time points, calculated among all infants. Breastfeeding Rates among Infants Born in 2017 State/Territoryīreastfed infants receiving formula before 2 days of ageĪSource: CDC National Immunization Survey (NIS) 2018–2019, among 2017 births. There is a wide range of scores for the other 5 subdomains, indicating room for improvement.
This subdomain also assesses whether mothers whose newborns are fed any formula are taught feeding techniques and how to safely prepare and feed a baby formula.
This domain includes teaching mothers to position and latch their newborn, assessing effective breastfeeding, hand expressing milk, recognizing and responding to feeding cues, breastfeeding on demand, and understanding the risks of using artificial nipples and pacifiers. States are performing well in the area of Feeding Education and Support with state scores ranging from 83 to 99 and a national score of 92. The horizontal bar represents the national average score for each subdomain. The national total mPINC score was 79 out of 100 and state total mPINC scores ranged from 68 to 96.įigure 1 represents the range of scores from the highest state score to the lowest state score for each of the 6 mPINC subdomains across 50 states and Puerto Rico. Data can be used to monitor and improve evidence-based maternity care practices and policies. These policies and practices are organized into six main areas of care called subdomains that are scored and comprise each state’s total mPINC score (Table 2). In 2018, 2,045 hospitals participated and were asked about early postpartum care practices, feeding practices, education and support of mothers and caregivers, staff and provider responsibilities and training, and hospital policies and procedures. About every 2 years, all maternity care hospitals in the United States and US territories are invited to participate. Comprehensive hospital practices and policies that support breastfeeding have been shown to reduce medically unnecessary formula supplementation, reduce disparities in breastfeeding, and help give infants the best start in life.ĬDC’s national mPINC survey assesses maternity care practices that affect how babies are fed. The percentage of breastfed infants supplemented with infant formula before 2 days of age was 19.2% among infants born in 2017, an increase from 16.9% among infants born in 2016. Although most infants born in 2017 started breastfeeding (84.1%), only 58.3% of infants were breastfeeding at 6 months (Table 1). Individualized support in the first few hours and days is critical to help mothers meet their breastfeeding goals.
This year’s report highlights data from CDC’s 2018 national survey of Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) that assesses practices and policies affecting newborn feeding, feeding education and support, staff skills, and discharge support.Įvidence-based hospital practices are important for establishing breastfeeding. CDC’s Breastfeeding Report Card, 2020, provides data on breastfeeding practices and supports in all states, the District of Columbia (DC), Puerto Rico, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends infants are exclusively breastfed for about the first 6 months with continued breastfeeding while introducing complementary foods for at least 1 year. Overviewīreastfeeding has many known health benefits for infants, children, and mothers and is a key strategy to improve public health.
The Breastfeeding Report Card is released every two years however, breastfeeding data continue to be released annually on the DNPAO National Immunization Survey Breastfeeding Rates web page and on the interactive Data, Trends, and Maps website.