Kristen Blacker wrote: " Can anyone tell me - or point me in the right
direction to find out myself -what the average duration of breastfeeding is
in the USA these days"

I've probably got that number around here somewhere, but I can't find it at
the moment. I do, however, find this:

"The most recent data (1999) show that 67 percent of American babies were
breastfed immediately after birth. Sadly, even though the initiation rate
has risen considerably and health professionals recommend babies receive
breastmilk for at least one year, 70 percent of new moms quit before the
baby is six months old--and fully 83 percent of American children are
weaned before their first birthday!"

Michels, D., Good Mojab, C. and Bar-Yam, N. Breastfeeding at a Glance:
Facts, Figures and Trivia About Lactation. Washington, DC: Platypus Media,
2001.

Cynthia

Cynthia Good Mojab
Ammawell; Research Associate, Publications Department, LLLI
Email: [log in to unmask]; Web site: http://home.attbi.com/~ammawell

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