Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin on Jan. 20 will issue "The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding," which outlines evidence-based steps that all sectors of a community can take to remove obstacles faced by women who want to breastfeed their babies.
“The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding”
While 75 percent of U.S. mothers breastfeed at the start, only 13 percent of babies are exclusively breastfed at six months. Many say their efforts to breastfeed are hindered by several factors, such as lack of support at home and at work, as well as lack of breastfeeding instruction from health care professionals. Given that breastfeeding protects the health of both baby and mother, it is important that family members, clinicians, friends, and employers know how they can help make breastfeeding easier.
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