Learn What You Can Do To Support Breastfeeding in Your State

The 2009 Breastfeeding Report Card shows how breastfeeding is being protected, promoted, and supported in each state and allows comparisons across states, making it an important tool for increasing breastfeeding nationwide.

The NEW 2009 Breastfeeding Report Card provides information for each state on key breastfeeding indicators, showing where each state has been successful and where more work is needed to improve breastfeeding practices.

What does the 2009 Breastfeeding Report Card show? How does your state measure up?

Each year, CDC releases the Breastfeeding Report Card on important indicators of breastfeeding-friendly states and the breastfeeding rates in those states.

The 2009 Report Card identifies the 15 states with legislation requiring employers to provide lactation support to employees. 

Other indicators also show the following progress in community support:

• Since 2008, live births at Baby Friendly facilities have increased by 35%.
• Forty-nine states now legislate mothers' rights to breastfeed while in public places.

The federal Healthy People 2010 (Maternal, Infant and Child Health) initiative includes goals to improve breastfeeding rates. These are to increase (1) initiation (the number of mothers who begin breastfeeding) to 75%; (2) duration (the number mothers who continue breastfeeding for a certain number of months) to 50% for 6 months and to 25% for 12 months; and (3) exclusivity (the number of mothers who breastfeed exclusively [without any other foods or liquids] for a certain number of months) to 40% for 3 months and 17% for 6 months.  The CDC National Immunization Survey breastfeeding items measure progress on these goals:

• Ten states now meet or exceed all of the Healthy People 2010 breastfeeding targets.
• In two states (Utah and Oregon) 9 out of every 10 new babies are breastfed.
• In five states (Utah, Oregon, Hawaii, Washington, and Vermont) at least one-third of mothers continue breastfeeding for at least 12 months.

More Work Ahead

While the 2009 Report Card contains some good news, more work is needed to help protect, promote, and support breastfeeding. For example:

• Twenty-two states did not meet any of the Healthy People 2010 breastfeeding targets.
• One of four (25.6%) breastfed infants receives formula before they are even 2 days old.
• Thirty-six states did not legislate necessary supports for mothers who return to work and continue breastfeeding.

Support from people of all walks of life helps mothers meet their own breastfeeding goals.  This support comes from health care professionals, legislators, employers, business owners, and community and family members. To find out how you can improve breastfeeding protection, promotion, and support in your state see The CDC Guide to Breastfeeding Interventions.

More Information

• CDC Breastfeeding — provides information and resources related to CDC's evidence-based policy and environmental approach to breastfeeding protection, promotion, and support.
• United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) — is a national organization working to improve the nation's health by promoting and supporting breastfeeding.