QuickStats: Percentage of Newborns Breastfed Between Birth and Discharge* from Hospital, by Maternal Age — National Vital Statistics System, 49 States† and the District of Columbia, 2021 and 2022
Weekly / February 1, 2024 / 73(4);91
Altmetric:
* Breastfed between birth and discharge from hospital is defined as a newborn who received breast milk or colostrum during the period between birth and discharge from the hospital.
† California does not report breastfeeding on birth certificates; approximately 11% of U.S. births in 2022 were to residents of California.
Among 49 states and the District of Columbia, the percentage of newborns breastfed between birth and discharge from the hospital increased from 83.3% in 2021 to 85.2% in 2022. Increases were observed for each maternal age group; the largest increases occurred among younger maternal age groups (70.4% to 74.5% among mothers aged <20 years and 77.6% to 80.8% among mothers aged 20–24 years). Despite the recent increases in initiation of breastfeeding at birth among younger mothers, older mothers were still more likely to breastfeed their newborns (86.8% of those aged ≥40 years versus 74.5% of mothers aged <20 years).
Source: National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System, Natality Data, 2021 and 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/births.htm
Reported by: Michelle J.K. Osterman, MHS, MOsterman@cdc.gov.
Suggested citation for this article: QuickStats: Percentage of Newborns Breastfed Between Birth and Discharge from Hospital, by Maternal Age — National Vital Statistics System, 49 States and the District of Columbia, 2021 and 2022. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2024;73:91. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7304a6.
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