Breastfeeding is the best source of nutrition for most infants. It can also reduce the risk for some short- and long-term health conditions for both infants and mothers. 
Most mothers want to breastfeed but stop early due to a lack of ongoing support. Certain factors make the difference in whether and how long infants are breastfed. For more information on why breastfeeding matters, what CDC is doing to increase breastfeeding rates, and how we are making a difference, explore the options below.
For More Information Please Visit
For more information, please visit www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding
Why It Matters
Only 1 in 4 infants is exclusively breastfed as recommended by the time they are 6 months old.
Low rates of breastfeeding add more than $3 billion a year to medical costs for the mother and child in the United States.
Black infants are 21% less likely to have ever been breastfed than white infants.
Breastfeeding is an Investment in Health, Not Just a Lifestyle Decision
Benefits for Infants
Infants who are breastfed have reduced
risks of:
- Asthma
- Obesity
- Type 2 diabetes
- Ear and respiratory infections
- Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
- Gastrointestinal infections (diarrhea/vomiting)
- Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) for preterm infants
Benefits for Mothers
Breastfeeding can help lower a mother’s risk of:
- High blood pressure
- Type 2 diabetes
- Ovarian cancer
- Breast cancer
“Breastfeeding provides unmatched health benefits for babies and mothers. It is the clinical gold standard for infant feeding and nutrition, with breast milk uniquely tailored to meet the health needs of a growing baby. We must do more to create supportive and safe environments for mothers who choose to breastfeed.”
Dr. Ruth Petersen, Director of CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity
What CDC is Doing
CDC’s Work to Support and Promote Breastfeeding
We collect data to learn how best to improve breastfeeding rates in the United States by:
- Tracking how long infants are breastfed.
- Creating reports that show how well states and hospitals support breastfeeding mothers.
We promote best practices in health care settings by:
- Supporting the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, a global standard to promote breastfeed
ing in hospitals. - Encouraging obstetricians, pediatricians[PDF-405KB], and nurses[PDF-363KB] to educate new moms about breastfeeding.
We support mothers at work and in their communities by:
- Partnering with states to help employers support breastfeeding mothers with places to pump and store breast milk, flexible work hours, and maternity leave benefits.
- Promoting access to community supports like peer counseling and supplemental nutrition programs.
Making A Difference
In the United States, the percentage of babies who start out breastfeeding increased from 73% in 2004 to 83% in 2015.
In the United States, the percentage of births in hospitals with recommended maternity care practices that support breastfeeding increased from 1.9% in 2008 to 26.1% in 2018.
“Given the importance of breastfeeding on the health of mothers and children, it is critical that we take action to support breastfeeding. Only through the support of family, communities, clinicians, healthcare systems, and employers will we be able to make breastfeeding the easy choice.”
Dr. Jerome M. Adams, U.S. Surgeon General
For More Information Please Visit
For more information, please visit www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding