Connecticut rates for Exclusive Breastfeeding through 6 months of age have also begun to gradually improve in recent years, especially since 2010 (click on Trend, below the graph; you can also toggle the data labels on and off by clicking on Labels, or simply hover the cursor over the data point to observe its values).

Improved legislation, maternity practices that better support the establishment of breastfeeding, educating moms, and consistent messaging and peer support, all help contribute to increasing breastfeeding exclusivity. [1]

Comparing state and national breastfeeding exclusivity rates (click on Trend Line Comparison, above the graph), you can appreciate that Connecticut rates (in blue) roughly parallel the national rates (in orange) throughout most of this period, with both exhibiting an upward trend.  This trend places Connecticut generally below the national HP2010 Objective (25.5%), but increasingly above the Healthy Connecticut 2020 Objective of 13.5% since 2010 (see Notes, below).

The CDC's National Immunization Survey's 2013 birth-year cohort data indicate that, nationwide, women with the following socio-demographic characteristics are less likely to exclusively breastfeed their infant through 6 months of age:

• by Race/Ethnicity: non-Hispanic Black women (14.6%), compared to non-Hispanic White women (26.8%);
• by Maternal Education: less than high school (14.9%), compared to college graduates (31.0%);
• by Maternal Age: 20 to 29 years of age (18.2%), compared to women 30 years of age or older (25.4%);
• by Poverty Income Ratio [2]: less than 100 (15.5%), compared to 400 - 599 (31.1%), followed by 600 or greater (27.6%).

[1] Exclusive breastfeeding is defined as ONLY breast milk - no solids, water, or other liquids.

[2] Poverty Income Ratio = ratio of self-reported family income to the federal poverty threshold value depending on the number of people in the household.

NOTES:

Data:  Connecticut breastfeeding data are current as of September 2018, as reported by the CDC on its Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity:  Data, Trends and Maps webpage:  https://nccd.cdc.gov/dnpao_dtm/rdPage.aspx?rdReport=DNPAO_DTM.ExploreByLocation&rdRequestForwarding=Form.  Note: The duration of "Exclusive Breastfeeding" is estimated by two survey questions about age, including the age of the child when s/he was first fed formula, and the age of the child when s/he was first fed anything other than breastmilk or formula (including water).

Targets:  State-level targets for Breastfeeding Initiation through 2010 are based on the national breastfeeding objectives presented in Healthy People 2010: http://www.usbreastfeeding.org/p/cm/ld/fid=221 (scroll to bottom of page).  Targets for the current decade were set in the Healthy Connecticut 2020 State Health Improvement Plan (see p. 21):  https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/Departments-and-Agencies/DPH/dph/state_health_planning/SHA-SHIP/hct2020/hct2020statehlthimpv032514pdf.pdf'%20class='no-direct-text-content'?la=en.

National Healthy People Objectves:  HP2020:  MICH-21.5 [Revised].  Increase the proportion of infants who are breastfed exclusively through 6 months.  Target:  25.5%.  HP2010:  16-19.e.  Exclusive Breastfeeding, Through 6 months.  Target:  17.0%.

Data source:  National Immunization Survey.  NIS breastfeeding rates for birth years 2000-2008 are based on a landline telephone sampling frame, and for birth years 2009 and beyond, on both a landline and cell phone (dual-frame) sampling frame.  Additional information can be found at https://nccd.cdc.gov/NPAO_DTM/.  These later rates are NOT directly comparable to rates from 2008 and earlier.

Potential Partners

Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH); Connecticut Department of Labor (CT-DOL); Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS); Connecticut Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services (DMHAS); Connecticut Department of Children & Families (DCF); State Legislature; professional associations for businesses; community health centers; primary care providers; health professional associations for lactation consultants and nutrition; faith-based organizations; community service providers for family, youth, and child development; food industry; federal and state nutrition programs; other organizations and coalitions that focus on breastfeeding and nutrition for women, infants, and children; schools of public health, allied health, nursing, and medicine; and others.

Additional DPH Partners:

Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO); Connecticut Breastfeeding Coalition (CBC) and their Ten-Step Collaborative; Connecticut Perinatal Quality Collaborative (CPQC); UConn Health Center for Public Health and Health Policy; Local CT WIC Programs; and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs).

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) has identified six (6) broad areas of intervention to improve breastfeeding rates in the U.S.: 1) maternity care practices; 2) support for breastfeeding in the workplace; 3) peer support; 4) educating mothers; 5) professional support; and, 6) media and social marketing.[1]

Through a five-year CDC grant, the Department of Public Health (DPH) is addressing four (4) of these key areas: 1) Increasing Access to Evidenced-Based Maternity Care Practices; 2) Ensuring Worksite Compliance with State and Federal Lactation Accommodation Laws; and, 3-4) Promoting Peer, and Professional, Support for Breastfeeding. The Connecticut WIC Program, under the auspices of DPH, continues to work in the remaining two (2) intervention areas: educating mothers, and media & social marketing.

The results are beginning to be reflected in the data.

[1] Shealy KR, Li R, Benton-Davis S, Grummer-Strawn LM. The CDC Guide to Breastfeeding Interventions. Atlanta: US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2005.

Support and promote compliance with State and Federal breastfeeding legislation, including the Women's Health Provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and workplace lactation accommodation laws.

Support and promote the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), strengthening hospital capacity and building on current activities in support of achieving BFHI designation.

Provide targeted technical assistance and support through established community networks, promoting consistent messaging and health equity in breastfeeding initiation, exclusivity and duration.