improving infant mortality in ohio - Maternal and Child Health ...

5. Breastfeeding:a. AAP recommends exclusive breastfeeding for about 6 months, followedby continued breastfeeding as complementary foods are introduced, withcontinuation of breastfeeding for 1 year or longer as mutually desired bymother and infant.b. Breastfeeding is linked to decreased risk of SIDS, necrotizing enterocolitis(NEC), ear infections, GI infections, celiac disease, inflammatory boweldisease, obesity, diabetes, childhood leukemia and lymphoma, and betterneurodevelopmental outcomes. Therefore, feeding artificial baby formulais linked to increased risk of SIDS, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), earinfections, GI infections, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), SIDS, celiacdisease, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, diabetes, childhoodleukemia and lymphoma, and better neurodevelopmental outcomes.i. If 90% of families exclusively breastfeed for 6 months, nearly1,000 deaths among infants could be prevented.ii. Prematurity largest single cause of infant death. NEC is the mostcommon gastrointestinal emergency in premature infants. Byfeeding preterm infants human milk, there is a 58% reduction inthe incidence of NEC.iii. SIDS is the fourth single cause of infant death. The rate of SIDS is60% lower among infants who had any breastfeeding versus thosewithout breastfeeding. The rate of SIDS is 70% lower inexclusively breastfed infants (no formula) for any period of time.c. Ohio breastfeeding rates have been slowly increasing over the past 6years.i. In 2010, 67% of Ohio mothers initiated breastfeeding, but thatfalls short of the Healthy People 2010 goal of 75%.ii. Ohio has also made progress in the number of infants who arebreastfed at 6 months of age, almost 40%. However, this also trailsbehind the US rate of 44% and the HP2010 objective of 50%.iii. HP 2020 goals: 81.9% to initiate breastfeeding and 60.6% for anybreastfeeding at 6 months of age.d. Rates within racial and ethnic subgroups are increasing as well; however,disparities persist. Improving breastfeeding initiation and duration ratesamong all demographic groups can help to reduce health disparities.According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), 64.7% of Ohiowhite, non-Hispanic mothers initiate breastfeeding while only 54.1% ofblack, non-Hispanic mothers initiate breastfeeding. By six months postpartum,only 33.4% of Ohio white, non-Hispanic mothers arebreastfeeding and only 23.4% of black, non-Hispanic mothers arebreastfeeding. By 12 months, less than 15% of white, non-Hispanicmothers are breastfeeding and less than 10% of black, non-Hispanicmothers are breastfeeding. Many barriers have been identified and the2011 US Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeedingprovides actions and implementation strategies.