Promoting Breastfeeding in African American Women

Breastfeeding has many benefits f or both mothers and infants. Despite these noted benefits, national breastfeeding rates are still below the Healthy People 2020 goal related to the proportion of infants who are ever breastfed. In particular, African-American women historically and consistently lag behind in breastfeeding rates when compared to their White and Hispanic counterparts. Several studies have identified factors that contribute to low breastfeeding rates in African-American women. Closing this gap depends on our ability to address those factors. The purpose of this article is to explore factors influencing breastfeeding in African-American women and strategies for promoting breastfeeding in African-American women.