The CDC issued a highly critical report yesterday on the state of breastfeeding support in U.S. hospitals.
Reuters reports:
Less than 4 percent of the country's hospitals fully support breastfeeding, said a report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In nearly 80 percent of hospitals, healthy babies who are being breastfed are given formula even when there is no medical need for it, making it more difficult to continue breastfeeding at home, the report says.
Only a third of hospitals have "rooming in" policies that allow babies to stay in the hospital room with their mothers 24 hours a day, which can increase breastfeeding opportunities.
Nearly 75 percent of hospitals do not provide adequate support for mothers once they leave, including follow-up visits and phone calls, the report said.
Summing up the state of affairs, CDC director Thomas Frieden said, ""We're a very long way from where we need to be."
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