Women of reproductive age, representing several races, including Hispanics, African Americans, and Asians. The population evaluated was of the nation in general and Florida State in particular. Their health and social status were not taken into account.
The data was analyzed and gathered with the help of several sources. These are the following websites: cdc.gov, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, and who. int. All the statistics and facts were taken from these sources and cited in this work.
According to Sriraman and Kellams (2016), “statistics show that although many women initiate breastfeeding, few meet the recommended goals for duration and exclusivity”. The main aim is to breastfeed the child up to six months and continue that for up to two years, gradually incorporating complementary foods. As the surveys show, “in Florida, 81.1 percent of mothers are breastfeeding at least once, matching that national average” (Facts/Breastfeeding/CDC, 2019).
When it comes to breastfeeding for longer periods, one can see that the percentage of mothers that do it has grown, but is still rather low. It is worth mentioning that “47.3 percent are breastfeeding at six months” (Facts/Breastfeeding/CDC, 2019). It has determined significant progress compared to the results of studies in 2007. These rates show, “that mothers may not be getting the support they need from health care providers, family members… to meet their … goals” (Breastfeeding/Report Card/CDC, 2019).
Scientists say that breastfeeding is highly beneficial for both the child and the mother. As it has been stated, “women who breastfeed … have a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancers” (“Breastfeeding”, para. 1, 2019). The same source claims that “breastfed children perform better on intelligence tests, are less likely to be overweight or obese and less prone to diabetes” (“Breastfeeding”, para. 1, 2019).
There have been several disparities that have been noticed during the research. It is important to note that “fewer non-Hispanic black infants (74.0%) are ever breastfed compared with non-Hispanic white infants (86.6%) and Hispanic infants (82.9%)” (Facts/Breastfeeding/CDC, 2019). What is more, “younger mothers (aged 20 to 29 years) are less likely to ever breastfeed (80.0%) than mothers aged 30 years or older (86.3%)” (Facts/Breastfeeding/CDC, 2019). These disparities along with other problems that mothers face not only in the States have been noticed by some organizations, for example, the World Health Organization (WHO).
Its initiative, The Global Breastfeeding Collective, has set a goal to help mothers all around the world. They claim, that their”mission is to rally political; legal; financial; and public support, so rates of breastfeeding increase, which will benefit mothers, children, and society” (“Global Breastfeeding Collective, 2019). They want to provide women with information, education, and help that they need to keep their babies and themselves healthy.
Supporting elongated breastfeeding and its initiation will help change the statistics for the better. It will help mothers and children both benefit from it. The government and different organizations can also give women access to appropriate maternity care that is important and educate their families on the need for support. Implementing safe spaces at work for women to breastfeed and not feel shamed; introducing certain policies on that matter will contribute to the increase in rates. Mothers should also be provided with the necessary accommodation or equipment for breastfeeding itself or pumping milk. Moreover, there should be more funding of organizations that make their goal to help women through this period of their lives.
References
Sriraman, N. K., & Kellams, A. (2016). Breastfeeding: What are the barriers? Why women struggle to achieve their goals. Journal of Women’s Health, 25(7), 714-722.
Global Breastfeeding Collective. (2019) Web.
Facts/Breastfeeding/CDC (2019). Web.
Breastfeeding (2019). Web.