Healthy People Initiative 2020 Recommendations on Breast-feeding

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Based on the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics, there is the Healthy People Initiative 2020 in the United States.  The Healthy People objectives mirror the recommendations for breast-feeding.   For 2020, there is the goal of increasing the proportion of infants who are breastfed to 81%.  The target for some breast-feeding at six months is 60%, whereas the target for exclusive breastfeeding through six months is set at 25%.  About 80% of women in the United States intend to breastfeed and 75% even initiate breast-feeding.  We see at three months and at six months that a relatively large proportion of those women are still feeding some breast milk to their infants.  When we look at exclusive breastfeeding, we see a big drop in those percentages.  In the 2010 outcomes, exclusive breastfeeding for six months was only about 12% or 13%.  You could see the gap between women’s and families’ interests and intentions to breastfeed (75% - 80%), but only 12% to 13% are actually able to exclusively breastfeed for that recommended six months.  It is this dilemma that needs to be studied.