WASHINGTON, Jul 27, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Most mothers recognize the
benefits of breastfeeding for themselves and their babies but many say formula
is a safe alternative, a U.S. survey indicates.
The survey of 876 mothers of children age 12 months and younger throughout the
country, conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research and Public Opinion
Strategies, found 84 percent said they believe breastfeeding is healthier for
their babies and 79 percent believe it is healthier for themselves.
Eighty-three percent of mothers made their infant feeding decision prior to
going to a hospital to give birth and 82 percent breastfed at some point during
the first year. However, more than half of the moms changed their baby's diet
during the first year.
"Mothers in the United States know what is best for their babies," Anna
Greenberg, senior vice president at GQRR, says in a statement. "But many moms
report having to balance the needs of their baby along with competing needs of
work or school, other family members, and maintaining an adequate milk supply."
The mothers identified a number of barriers that either prevented them from
initiating or continuing breastfeeding, including demands of work or school, the
inability to produce enough milk, the feeling that breastfeeding restricts
freedom and the expense of a breast pump.
No margin of error was provided.
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Copyright 2009 by United Press International