Breastfeeding in the United States

Abstract

The breastfeeding of U.S. infants born in 1974–76 is analyzed using data from the 1976 National Survey of Family Growth. It is found that the proportion of infants breastfed was increasing rapidly, with the highest rates found among white, college‐educated, western mothers and lowest rates among black mothers and mothers with less than a high‐school education. For children who were breastfed, the median duration was about 4.5 months and the mean 5.5 months, also with marked differences by ethnicity, education, and region. Data from other sources confirm these differences and quantify subsequent increases in breastfeeding.