Three out of four new moms try breast-feeding over the bottle,
but most of them have quit by the time the baby reaches six
months, a new study shows. A report from Brigham Young
University shows only 36 percent of babies are breast-fed
through six months. The American Academy of Pediatrics
recommends breast-feeding through the first year. The data are
based on a weighted sample of more than 60,000 children,
collected from national immunization surveys compiled by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although the data
are focused on childhood immunization rates, questions also were
asked about breast-feeding, giving the researchers a
representative sample of nursing patterns in the United States.
The researchers found that children who were most likely to be
breast-fed for more than six months typically had mothers with
higher levels of education and income. Married women and those
who lived in Western states were also more likely to breast-
feed. Hispanic women and women born in other countries were