Breastfeeding Numbers Soar with New Evidence of Health Benefits
The best milk for babies is their mother’s milk. It is the safest source of nutrition for her child and ranks high on long-term benefits for moms as well. It is well-known that breastfeeding is associated with a multitude of health benefits for both the child and mother.1 Breast milk is the ideal food for infants because it contains a naturally complex combination of nutritional and immunologic factors that cannot be replicated by formula.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released excellent news for the health of our nation’s children. Between 2000 and 2010, the percentage of new mothers who chose to nurse their babies climbed significantly. In 2000, 35 percent of new moms nursed for six months, and 16 percent nursed for at least one year; in 2010, those numbers rose to 49 percent and 27 percent, respectively:2
