Ryan A S
Ross Products Division, Abbott Laboratories, Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Pediatrics. 1997 Apr;99(4):E12. doi: 10.1542/peds.99.4.e12.
To update reported rates of breastfeeding through 1995 and to compare rates in 1995 with those from 1989.
The Ross Laboratories Mothers' Survey, first conducted in 1955, is a large, national, mail survey designed to determine patterns of milk feeding to 6 months of age. Questionnaires are mailed to a representative sample of mothers when their infants are 6 months of age. In 1989, 196 000 questionnaires were mailed, and in 1995, 720 000 questionnaires were mailed. Mothers were asked to recall the type of milk fed to their infants immediately after birth, in the hospital, and during each of the first 6 months of age. The rates of breastfeeding in the hospital and at 6 months of age were evaluated.
The Ross Laboratories Mothers' Survey demonstrates recent increases in both the initiation of breastfeeding and continued breastfeeding at 6 months of age. Comparing rates in 1989 and 1995, the initiation of breastfeeding increased more than 14% (from 52.2% to 59.7%). There was a 19.3% increase in the rate of breastfeeding at 6 months of age (from 18.1% to 21.6%). The increases in breastfeeding were observed across all sociodemographic groups but were greater among groups that have historically been less likely to practice breastfeeding: women who were black, younger (<25 years of age), in the lowest income group (<$10 000), no more than grade school educated, primiparous, and living in the South Atlantic region of the United States; women who had infants of low birth weight; women who were employed full time outside the home; and women who participated in the Women, Infants, and Children supplemental food program. Nevertheless, breastfeeding was most common in the western states and among women who were older, college educated, and multiparous, did not enroll in the Women, Infants, and Children program, were not employed outside the home, had infants of normal birth weight, and had higher disposable incomes.
The sharp increase in rates of breastfeeding among groups that are less likely to breastfeed is encouraging. However, these groups are still the least likely to initiate breastfeeding. Educational efforts that extol positive attitudes about breastfeeding must be continued to support mothers who are young, poor, and less educated.
更新截至1995年的母乳喂养报告率，并将1995年的比率与1989年的进行比较。
罗斯实验室母亲调查于1955年首次开展，是一项大规模的全国性邮寄调查，旨在确定婴儿6个月龄前的母乳喂养模式。当婴儿6个月龄时，问卷被邮寄给有代表性的母亲样本。1989年邮寄了196,000份问卷，1995年邮寄了720,000份问卷。母亲们被要求回忆婴儿出生后在医院以及出生后头6个月每个月所喂的奶类类型。对医院内及6个月龄时的母乳喂养率进行了评估。
罗斯实验室母亲调查显示，近期母乳喂养的开始率和6个月龄时的持续母乳喂养率均有所上升。比较1989年和1995年的比率，母乳喂养开始率上升超过14%（从52.2%升至59.7%）。6个月龄时的母乳喂养率上升了19.3%（从18.1%升至21.6%）。所有社会人口学群体的母乳喂养率均有上升，但在历史上母乳喂养可能性较低的群体中上升幅度更大：黑人女性、年龄较小（<25岁）、收入最低组（<$10,000）、小学及以下学历、初产妇以及居住在美国南大西洋地区的女性；出生体重低的婴儿的母亲；全职在外工作的女性；以及参加妇女、婴儿和儿童补充食品计划的女性。然而，母乳喂养在西部各州以及年龄较大、受过大学教育、经产妇、未参加妇女、婴儿和儿童计划、不在家工作、婴儿出生体重正常且可支配收入较高 的女性中最为常见。
母乳喂养可能性较低的群体中母乳喂养率的大幅上升令人鼓舞。然而，这些群体仍然是最不可能开始母乳喂养的群体。必须继续开展宣传母乳喂养积极态度的教育工作，以支持年轻、贫困和受教育程度较低的母亲。
