Research

Research Projects Underway

Program Evaluation Research

CDC is working with researchers affiliated with the Association of Schools of Public Health, Association of Teachers of Preventive Medicine, and the Association of American Medical Colleges to evaluate the impact of existing breastfeeding interventions across the United States. As of 2005, ten universities have received funding to evaluate the following:

• Peer-counseling for breastfeeding education
• In-home breastfeeding support
• Telephone-based breastfeeding support
• Hospital-based paraprofessional lactation clinic support
• How breast pump loan programs affect breastfeeding duration among women who return to work after maternity leave
• How "Baby-Friendly" hospital status affects breastfeeding initiation rates
• How community-based breastfeeding policy and environmental interventions affect local breastfeeding rates
• The cost-effectiveness of a variety of methods used to support the breastfeeding mother

A look at preliminary results published to date:
Merewood A et al. (2003) The baby-friendly hospital initiative increases breastfeeding rates in a U.S. neonatal intensive care unit. Journal of Human Lactation 19(2):166–171

Philipp B et al. (2003) Sustained breastfeeding rates at a U.S. Baby-Friendly hospital. Pediatrics 112:e234–e236.

Chapman DJ, Damio G, Young S, Perez-Escamilla R. (2004) Effectiveness of breastfeeding peer counseling in a low-income, predominantly Latina population: A randomized controlled trial. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 158: 897–902.

Chapman DJ, Damio G, Perez-Escamilla R. (2004) Differential response to breastfeeding peer counseling within a low-income, predominantly Latina population. Journal of Human Lactation 20(4):389–396.

Maternity Care Practices

In an effort to minimize the barriers to breastfeeding that women face within the health care setting, the CDC's Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity will monitor maternity care practices related to breastfeeding by conducting surveys of hospital maternity care practices every two years. The first survey is planned for 2007. For more information, visit our Data and Statistics page.

Research to Practice

Does Breastfeeding Reduce the Risk of Pediatric Overweight? [PDF-1.3Mb]
The health of American children is being threatened by overweight and the conditions that may stem from this problem, such as elevated serum lipid and insulin concentrations, elevated blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and psychosocial problems. This Research to Practice (R2P) brief explores the relationship between breastfeeding and pediatric overweight.

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