FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, June 4, 2004 |
Contact: HHS Press Office
(202) 690-6343
Ad Council Press Office
(212) 984-1964 |
Public Service Campaign to Promote Breastfeeding Awareness Launched
Emphasizes "Babies were born to be breastfed"
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s
Health (OWH) and the Advertising Council announced today the launch of
a new national campaign that encourages first-time mothers to breastfeed
exclusively for six months. “Babies were born to be breastfed,”
the campaign tag line, memorably summarizes the clear recommendation contained
in the new public service announcements (PSAs).
“Like our campaign says, ‘Babies were born to be breastfed,’”
Secretary Thompson said. “Breastfeeding exclusively for six months
is a powerful way to get a newborn off to a healthy start in life. Hopefully,
this campaign will provide mothers with the information and the motivation
to breastfeed.”
The United States has one of the lowest rates of breastfeeding in the
developed world. While most new mothers initiate breastfeeding, more than
one-half discontinue by six months. Recent studies have shown that breastfed
babies are less likely to develop ear infections, respiratory illness
and diarrhea and may have reduced risk for childhood obesity.
“New parents are often discouraged from breastfeeding because
of confusion about duration and doubts about their ability,” said
Acting Assistant Secretary of Health Cristina Beato, M.D. “These
new public service announcements speak to parents clearly about the consequences
of not breastfeeding, which may help encourage more mothers to initiate
and continue to breastfeed exclusively for six months.”
Increasing the proportion of mothers who breastfeed their babies is one
of the goals in Healthy People 2010, which lays out our nation’s
objectives for improving public health. The goal is to increase the proportion
of mothers initiating breastfeeding in the early postpartum period to
75 percent by 2010, up from the current level of 70 percent. In addition,
the goal is to have 50 percent of mothers continuing to breastfeed at
six months by 2010. Currently, only 33 percent of mothers are breastfeeding
at six months.
“We are proud to partner with the Office on Women’s Health
to communicate the extraordinary benefits of breastfeeding,” according
to Peggy Conlon, president & CEO of the Advertising Council. “The
new PSAs are unique and captivating -- they depict the reduced risks for
children if their mothers breastfeed and I believe the media will generously
support the campaign.”
Research has shown that many women know that breastfeeding is the best
nutrition for babies. This knowledge has not translated into changed behaviors,
and breastfeeding rates have hit a plateau. Parents did not perceive a
real consequence to opting out of breastfeeding. Based on this research,
these PSAs take a new approach. The campaign seeks to build confidence
while highlighting the consequences of not breastfeeding. Through the
tag line “Babies were born to be breastfed,” the PSAs put
forth a message that is both empowering and compelling.
The campaign includes television, radio, newspaper, magazine and outdoor
PSAs that communicate the importance of breastfeeding. All of the PSAs
conclude with the campaign tagline and direct audiences to talk to their
health care provider or contact the National Women's Health Information
Center’s free breastfeeding helpline at 1-800-994-WOMAN or visit
the Web site at www.4woman.gov.
Consistent with the Ad Council model, the PSAs will be distributed to
28,000 media outlets nationwide and will run and air in advertising time
and space that is donated by the media. The PSAs will be available Monday
at www.4woman.gov or www.adcouncil.org.
The Office on Women's Health in the Department of Health and Human Services
is the government’s champion and focal point for women's health
issues, and works to redress inequities in research, health care services,
and education that have historically placed the health of women at risk.
The Office on Women's Health coordinates women's health efforts in HHS
to eliminate disparities in health status and supports culturally sensitive
educational programs that encourage women to take personal responsibility
for their own health and wellness. To learn more about the OWH, visit
its Web site at www.4woman.gov/owh.
The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization with a 60-year history
of marshalling volunteer talent from the advertising and media industries
to deliver critical messages to the American public. The Ad Council has
produced thousands of public service campaigns that address the most pressing
social issues of the day. Ad Council icons and slogans are woven into
the very fabric of American culture -- from Smokey Bear's “Only
You Can Prevent Forest Fires” and McGruff the Crime Dog's: “Take
A Bite Out of Crime,” to the United Negro College Fund’s:
“A Mind is a Terrible Thing To Waste,” and "Friends Don't
Let Friends Drive Drunk.” The Ad Council has received more than
$1 billion in donated media for its campaigns each year since 1998. To
learn more about the Ad Council and its campaigns, visit its Web site
at www.adcouncil.org.
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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.
Last Revised: June 7, 2004
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