Breastfeeding
CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (DNPAO) is committed to increasing breastfeeding rates throughout the United States and to promoting and supporting optimal breastfeeding practices toward the ultimate goal of improving the public’s health.
Why it matters, what CDC is doing, making a difference.
Answers to frequently asked questions for healthcare providers and families.
National and state data on breastfeeding rates, support indicators, infant feeding practices, and maternity care practices.
Information for state and local organizations to support breastfeeding where families live, work, play and raise children.
Human milk handling/storage, food safety after a natural disaster, safety in maternity care and more.
Nutritional concerns, illnesses, exposures, vaccines, and medications/drugs.
CDC toolkits, reports, fact sheets, and more.
In the Spotlight
Spanish language breastfeeding resources such as recommendations, benefits, and what to expect.
US Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding seeks to make it possible for every mother who wishes to breastfeed to be able to do so.
Baby-Friendly Hospitals initiative urges more support for parents to breastfeed.
Breastfeeding rates vary by geographic location, socioeconomic status, and race/ethnicity. Learn about work to reduce disparities.
Interactive database provides national and state-level data about the health status and behaviors of Americans. It includes a category for breastfeeding.
