The Checkup: Breastfeeding Rates Are Up, Study Says

Looks like all the talk about breastfeeding is paying off. New CDC numbers indicate that rates of breastfeeding are rising in the U.S., jumping from 70.3 percent in 2000 to 74.6 percent in 2008. And women are breastfeeding for longer, too: 44.4 percent were breastfeeding after six months in 2008, compared to only 34.5 percent in 2000.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, of course, is heartened by the trend. A policy statement on its website (PDF warning) links breast milk with a laundry list of health benefits, including lower risk of serious colds, pneumonia, ear infections, sudden infant death syndrome, Type 1 diabetes, obesity and more. The group recommends that mothers exclusively breastfeed their babies for the first six months, and then supplement breast milk with solid foods for the next six months.

Read more about the research over on the Los Angeles Times.