Background on Campaign

Information: National Breastfeeding Awareness Campaign

The US Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health (OWH)
has been funded to carry out recommendations of the HHS Blueprint for Action
on Breastfeeding (2000) into a National Breastfeeding Awareness Campaign
(NBAC). This 3-year campaign will promote breastfeeding among first-time parents
(mothers and fathers) who would not normally breastfeed their baby. The overall
goal of the campaign is to increase the proportion of mothers who breastfeed
their babies in the early postpartum period to 75% and those within 6 months
postpartum to 50% by the year 2010 (Health People 2010). The campaign aims to
empower women to commit to breastfeeding and to clearly illustrate the
consequences of not breastfeeding such as higher likelihood of diabetes, obesity, some
childhood cancers, and other illnesses and conditions. Besides trying to raise
initiation rates, the campaign will also stress the importance of exclusive
breastfeeding for at least 6 months. A study in 2001 reported that rates of any
amount of breastfeeding at initiation in the US are 69.5% and rates of
breastfeeding at 6 months are only 33%. The campaign will focus on the general
market audience but since rates for breastfeeding at 6 months are lowest in the
African American community (21%), the campaign will focus on African American
women as well.

The campaign will be produced pro bono on behalf of The Advertising Council,
a private, nonprofit organization, which has been the leading producer of
public service communications programs in the United States since 1942. The
communications programs are national in scope and have generated strong, measurable
results. Ad Council campaigns include, "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive
Drunk," "Take a Bite Out of Crime," and "A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste."
(www.adcouncil.org)

The NBAC public service announcements (PSAs) will incorporate television,
radio, newspaper, magazine, billboard, and web banner advertising. 18 US cities
have been selected to work as resource sites, Community Based Demonstration
Projects (CDPs). Another available resource is the OWH-funded National Women's
Health Information Center breastfeeding helpline. Breastfeeding Information
Specialists are available to answer emails and assist callers with breastfeeding
issues. The number and website, 1-800-994-WOMAN (9662), TDD 1-888-220-5446,
www.4woman.gov, are available in English and Spanish and are open Monday through
Friday from 9am-6pm, EST.

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