Ryan Alan S, Wenjun Zhou, Acosta Andrew
Ross Products Division of Abbott Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio 43215, USA.
Pediatrics. 2002 Dec;110(6):1103-9. doi: 10.1542/peds.110.6.1103.
To update reported rates of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding through 2001 and to compare rates in 2001 to those from 1996.
The Ross Laboratories Mothers Survey (RLMS) is a large, national survey designed to determine patterns of milk feeding during infancy. Questionnaires were mailed each month to a representative sample of mothers when their infant was 1 month of age, 2 months of age, 3 months or age, and so forth. In 1996, approximately 744 000 questionnaires were mailed, and in 2001, 1.4 million questionnaires were mailed. Mothers were asked to recall the type of milk fed to their infant in the hospital, and during each month of age. Two categories of breastfeeding were considered: breastfeeding (human milk or a combination of human milk and formula or cow's milk) and exclusive breastfeeding (only human milk). Rates of breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding in the hospital and at 6 months of age were evaluated.
In 2001, the prevalence of the initiation of breastfeeding and breastfeeding to 6 months of age in the United States reached their highest levels recorded to date, 69.5% and 32.5%, respectively. Comparing rates in 2001 and 1996, increases in the initiation of breastfeeding and continued breastfeeding to 6 months of age were observed across all sociodemographic groups but were greater among groups that have been historically less likely to breastfeed: women who were black, younger (<20 years of age), no more than high school-educated, primiparous, employed at the time they received the survey, and who participated in the Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Breastfeeding in the hospital and at 6 months of age was most common in the Mountain and Pacific states and among women who were white or Hispanic, older, college-educated, and were not enrolled in WIC. Mothers most likely to practice exclusive breastfeeding in the hospital (46.2%) and at 6 months of age (17.2%) had a similar sociodemographic profile as mothers who breastfed their infants.
If increases in breastfeeding continue at the current rate (approximately 2% per year), in-hospital breastfeeding in the United States should meet or exceed the Healthy People 2010 goal of 75% for the early postpartum period. However, the Healthy People 2010 goal for continued breastfeeding to 5 to 6 months of age (50%) may not be reached in every subgroup. To ensure that these goals are achieved, educational and promotional strategies for breastfeeding must be continued to support mothers who are young, less educated, and participating in WIC.
更新截至2001年的母乳喂养和纯母乳喂养报告率，并将2001年的比率与1996年的进行比较。
罗斯实验室母亲调查（RLMS）是一项大型的全国性调查，旨在确定婴儿期的母乳喂养模式。当婴儿1个月、2个月、3个月等大小时，每月向有代表性的母亲样本邮寄调查问卷。1996年，大约邮寄了744000份问卷，2001年邮寄了140万份问卷。要求母亲回忆在医院以及婴儿每个月龄时喂给婴儿的奶类类型。考虑了两类母乳喂养：母乳喂养（母乳或母乳与配方奶或牛奶的混合）和纯母乳喂养（仅母乳）。评估了医院和6个月龄时的母乳喂养和纯母乳喂养率。
2001年，美国母乳喂养开始率和母乳喂养至6个月龄的患病率分别达到了迄今为止记录的最高水平，分别为69.5%和32.5%。比较2001年和1996年的比率，所有社会人口学群体的母乳喂养开始率和持续母乳喂养至6个月龄的比率均有所上升，但在历史上母乳喂养可能性较小的群体中上升幅度更大：黑人女性、年龄较小（<20岁）、高中及以下学历、初产妇、接受调查时就业以及参加妇女、婴儿和儿童补充营养计划（WIC）的女性。在山区和太平洋各州以及白人或西班牙裔、年龄较大、受过大学教育且未参加WIC的女性中，医院和6个月龄时的母乳喂养最为常见。在医院（46.2%）和6个月龄时（17.2%）最有可能进行纯母乳喂养的母亲与母乳喂养婴儿的母亲具有相似的社会人口学特征。
如果母乳喂养率以目前的速度（约每年2%）持续上升，美国医院内的母乳喂养率在产后早期应达到或超过《健康人民2010》设定的75%的目标。然而，并非每个亚组都能实现《健康人民2010》设定的持续母乳喂养至5至6个月龄（50%）的目标。为确保实现这些目标，必须继续实施母乳喂养的教育和推广策略，以支持年轻、受教育程度较低且参加WIC的母亲。
