| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 15, 2013 | Contact: HHS Press Office (202) 690-6343 |
HHS offers moms knowledge, help, and support through a new breastfeeding initiative, It’s Only Natural
Today, Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin, MD, MBA announced the launch of It’s Only Natural, a new public education campaign that aims to raise awareness among African American women of 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.
It’s Only Natural was developed to equip new moms with practical information and emotional support from peers, as well as tips and education about the benefits of breastfeeding and how to make it work in their own lives. All of the material is uniquely crafted for African American women. Materials include:
- video testimonials from new moms talking about the challenges they have overcome, providing breastfeeding tips, sharing their individual stories, and much more;
- articles on a variety of topics ranging from laws supporting breastfeeding to how to fit breastfeeding into your daily life;
- two fact sheets, which contain proper holding and latching techniques, as well as information on managing discomfort and how much milk is enough; and
- radio public service announcements.
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