WASHINGTON: Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin, MD, MBA announced the launch of It’s Only Natural, a new public education campaign aimed at African American women to raise awareness regarding the importance of and benefits associated with breastfeeding and provide helpful tips.
“One of the most highly effective preventive measures a mother can take to protect the health of her infant and herself is to breastfeed,” said Surgeon General Benjamin. “By raising awareness, the success rate among mothers who want to breastfeed can be greatly improved through active support from their families, their friends and the community.”
Breastfeeding offers mothers and their babies a healthy start. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 80 percent of all women in the United States—regardless of status, race, or income — start out breastfeeding. Among African American women, the breastfeeding rate is almost 55 percent — up from just 35 percent in the 1970s. However, while these rates are improving, breastfeeding rates among African American women remain lower than the rates of other ethnicities in the U.S., particularly among those living in the south.
This gap may indicate that African American mothers face barriers to meeting breastfeeding goals and need additional support to start and continue breastfeeding. It’s Only Natural was specifically designed to provide materials that reflect the experience of African American moms.
The campaign is focused on equipping new moms with practical information and emotional support from peers. It would also help them with tips and education about the benefits of breastfeeding and how to make it work in their own lives. The campaign material including video testimonials from new mothers sharing their stories, articles on various relevant topics, fact sheets and other information, is uniquely crafted targeting African American women.
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