US Breastfeeding Practices: Barriers remain despite popularity

World
Europe

03:58

The popularity of breastfeeding has been growing in the United States thanks in part to guidelines set forth by the World Health Organization. But the Trump administration reportedly tried to water down these guidelines earlier this year. While most American women believe "breast is best", they still face considerable challenges when trying to maintain a breastfeeding regimen. Karina Huber has more.

When it comes to feeding your newborn baby, the consensus among world health experts is that breastmilk is the gold standard.

ELIZABETH ROCHIN, VP OF NURSING ASSN. OF WOMEN'S HEALTH, OBSTETRIC & NEONATAL NURSES "It's free. It is readily available. It is the perfect temperature and it's the ideal nutrition for that particular baby."

Numerous studies have shown that babies who are breastfed exclusively for the first six months have fewer ear infections, respiratory illnesses and diarrhea. They also have less of a chance of developing allergies.

Moms who breastfeed benefit too. They recover from childbirth quicker and are less likely to develop breast and ovarian cancer later in life.

In 1981, the World Health Assembly adopted what's called the "WHO code" to promote breastfeeding. The assembly calls for restrictions on marketing of breastmilk substitutes to new mothers to help ensure they aren't being misled and discouraged from breastfeeding.

ELIZABETH ROCHIN, VP OF NURSING ASSN. OF WOMEN'S HEALTH, OBSTETRIC & NEONATAL NURSES "It's not a legally binding document but the expectation is that manufacturers as well as healthcare providers are following these very specific regulations and guidelines"

A majority of hospitals in the U.S. used to give out free formula. Now only roughly 30 percent of them do.

In 1971 only 25 percent of new American moms breastfed their infants. By 2016 it had ballooned to more than 80 percent.

"Breast is best" is now the mantra and because of that, it came as a shock to many that the United States reportedly tried to water down a resolution promoting breastfeeding at the World Health Assembly in Geneva this spring.

KARINA HUBER NEW YORK "According to the New York Times, the U.S. delegation unsuccessfully tried to remove some of the wording in the resolution that calls on member states to 'protect, promote and support breast-feeding' and limit the marketing of formula."

The report suggested the Trump administration was putting the interests of formula companies ahead of babies.

Trump denied the accusations in a tweet saying: "The U.S. strongly supports breastfeeding, but we don't believe women should be denied access to formula."

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it was concerned about stigmatizing women who cannot or choose not to breastfeed.

The consequences of formula use in the United States are minimal compared to developing countries -- the industry's fastest growing market.

Women in poorer countries are often falsely led to believe formula is better or as good as breastmilk. Some are also ill-informed on how to use it. Because formula is expensive some moms dilute it. When the water is tainted, it can lead to deaths.

In the U.S., 80 percent of women start off breastfeeding but by six months the number drops to 50 percent. That's in large part because there is no federally mandated paid parental leave in the United States.

KATE CANNOVA ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE "It was the probably the hardest thing I've ever done."

Kate Cannova was back at work 12 weeks after giving birth to her son John. She was determined to maintain her breastfeeding regimen.

KATE CANNOVA ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE "I've pumped in clients' offices in their lactation rooms, which was really a cleaning supply closet with boxes stacked to the ceiling and you're crammed and you're standing up and you're holding the pump in your arms because there's no table and there's no sink and there's no chair."

She says a big problem is many employers don't fully understand what it means to be a working breastfeeding mother.

KATE CANNOVA ADVERTISING EXECUTIVE "I've always said that breastfeeding is the most natural thing in the world but it does not come naturally to baby or to mom and it most certainly does not come naturally to everyone else around mom - not in the workplace."

Karina Huber, CGTN, New York.