Oregon Ranked 5th in Nation on Breastfeeding Report Card

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

GoLocalPDX Health Team

Oregon ranked No. 5 in the nation for best maternity practices in infant nutrition and care, according to the 2014 Breastfeeding Report Card.

The report card was released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Oregon came in behind New Hampshire, Vermont, Delaware and Rhode Island, but scored well above the national average.

The score measured five factors that profiled the extent to which infants are breastfed. These indicators included whether infants were ever breastfed, breastfed at six months, breastfed at 12 months, exclusively breastfed at three months, and exclusively breastfed at six months.

In Oregon, 91.9 percent of babies are ever breastfed, but just over 40 percent are still breastfed at 12 months. The American Association of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding, in combination with the introduction of complementary foods, until at least 12 months.