WIC Nutrition

African American Breastfeeding Promotion

Why is African American breastfeeding promotion a DSHS priority?

Pilot Program

Promotion Materials

Other African American Breastfeeding Promotion Resources

Why is African American breastfeeding promotion a DSHS priority?

• Breastfeeding rates among African American women lag behind all other ethnic groups.
• Breastfeeding is a natural extension of pregnancy and human milk is normal infant nutrition. Therefore, when breastfeeding is not practiced, it has detrimental health effects for both the baby and the mother.
  • Not breastfeeding increases an infant’s risk of urinary tract, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and ear infections as well as diarrhea and constipation.
  • Not breastfeeding increases an infant’s risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
  • Not breastfeeding increases an infant’s risk of asthma and other allergies.
  • Not breastfeeding increases an infant’s risk of less than optimal immune system and oral-facial development.
  • Not breastfeeding increases an infant’s risk of diabetes, Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and lymphoma.
  • Not breastfeeding results in less than optimal cognitive development for the child and an increased risk of overweight and obesity later in life.
  • For the mother, not breastfeeding increases her risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer.
  • Not breastfeeding increases a woman’s risk for postpartum obesity and osteoporosis.

Increasing the rates of breastfeeding could narrow many of the health disparities that are prevalent among African Americans, such as SIDS, diabetes, overweight and obesity, and asthma.

Health Disparity Fact Sheets http://www.tdh.state.tx.us/ophp/pubs/phwFactSheets.pdf

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Pilot Program

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) piloted the breastfeeding campaign targeted to African American women in Beaumont, Port Arthur, and Orange and Hardin counties in 2004.

• Executive Summary (171K, PDF, viewing information )
• Complete Report (374K, PDF, viewing information )

Promotion Materials

Brochures

• Your Baby, Your Gift (5,435K, PDF, viewing information )
• Support Your Partner (4,182K, PDF, viewing information )
• Support Your Daughter (4,055K, PDF, viewing information )

Posters

• Act Natural. Breastfeed (60K, PDF, viewing information )
• As a doctor, I support breastfeeding (60K, PDF, viewing information )

Community Outreach

• Doctors Make the Difference, Incorporating Breastfeeding into Prenatal Care (1,268K, PDF, viewing information )
• Steps to a Breastfeeding-Friendly Practice (1,1217K, PDF, viewing information )
• Breastfeeding: A Natural Way to Better Health (2,856K, PDF, viewing information )
• Breastfeeding Support Pledge Card (208K, PDF, viewing information )

If you are in the State of Texas and would like to order these materials, go to http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/wichd/bf/bfpublic.shtm to place an order.

If you reside outside of Texas and would like to reprint these materials, download the PDFs of each piece you’d like to duplicate and take it to a printer in your community.

Media

• Radio Spots
  • WIC Mom (0:59, MP3, viewing information )
  • WIC Dad (0:59, MP3, viewing information )
  • WIC Grandma (0:59, MP3, viewing information )
  • Peer Counselor I (0:59, MP3, viewing information )
  • Peer Counselor II (0:57, MP3, viewing information )
• TV Spot
  • Breastfeeding (0:30, MP3, viewing information )
• Outdoor Spots (billboard/mini-poster)
  • Version 1
  • Version 2

Newspaper Columns http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/wichd/bf/newscolumns.shtm

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Other African American Breastfeeding Promotion Resources

African American Breastfeeding Alliance

Father's Supporting Breastfeeding Campaign

For more information about WIC Nutrition Services, please call (512) 458-7444

Last Updated February 7, 2006