WIC Program and CSFP
PO Box 64882
St. Paul, MN 55025-0882
http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/fh/wic/index.html
Breastfeeding in Minnesota’s WIC Program
From birth, breastfeeding protects infant health.
Evidence of the impact on future health for both
mother and baby is growing.1 Increasing breastfeeding
initiation, duration and exclusivity are national goals.
Achieving these goals will reduce health care costs and
save money for families, employers, and society.
Breastfeeding promotion and support is integral to
WIC’s work to improve maternal and infant health.
Breastfeeding Initiation and Prenatal Participation
in Minnesota WIC
Breastfeeding initiation in Minnesota is positively
associated with prenatal participation in WIC. Mothers
who participated in WIC for three or more months
prenatally were more likely to breastfeed and, in 2010,
met the Healthy People 2010 breastfeeding initiation
goal of 75% (Figure 2).4
The WIC program serves a population at higher risk
for not breastfeeding. WIC works to help women
overcome individual and reduce societal barriers to
breastfeeding. Creating an environment where women
are supported and cared for with evidence-based
practices will help ensure more mothers and children
get off to the best start. 2
WIC Breastfeeding Initiation
• In 2010, 37,600 children under age two
participating in the Minnesota WIC program had
been breastfed. 3
• Breastfeeding initiation rates have increased
steadily across time (Figure 1). Initiation rates
increased 19% from 2001 (62%) to 2010 (74%).3
From 1990 to 2011, rates increased 85% from 40%
in 1990.
WIC Breastfeeding Promotion and Support
Minnesota WIC continually works to enhance
breastfeeding promotion and support services. In the
past decade WIC implemented many initiatives.
1. Provided women with trained peer breastfeeding
counselors from their community (2005).
2. Increased focus on exclusive breastfeeding (2006).
3. Encouraged evidence-based practices for
breastfeeding positioning (i.e., Biological
Nurturing™) (2008).
4. Added greater variety and value to breastfeeding
women’s food packages (2009).
5. Increased lactation-related training opportunities
for local WIC staff, hospital staff and public health
workers.
These initiatives built on ongoing efforts, including the
3-step counseling model, breastfeeding training, and
collaboration with others, to reduce social and
environmental barriers.
February 2012
Breastfeeding in Minnesota’s WIC Program
WIC Breastfeeding Initiation and Race/Ethnicity
•
•
Among WIC participants, Hispanic,
Black/African American Non-Hispanic (NH)
and White NH met the Healthy People 2010
goal,2 and Hispanic women met the Healthy
People 2020 goal2 for breastfeeding initiation.
(Figure 3).
Breastfeeding initiation increased by over 30%
in Black and African-American NH women
from 2001 (61%) to 2010 (80%). These
increases may be influenced by increasing
numbers of Somali and other African
immigrants participating in WIC.
•
•
•
•
Breastfeeding initiation in Asian women, most
of whom were Hmong, increased by over 86%
from 2001 (29%) to 2010 (54%).
Breastfeeding initiation in White NH
participants increased by 17% from 2001 (64%)
to 2010 (75%).
Hispanic women have consistently had the
highest rates of breastfeeding among WIC
participants. For the past four years (2006-2010)
rates of initiation have reached 84%.
Breastfeeding initiation among American Indian
NH participants has remained low across time.
Rates vary within the state.
February 2012
Breastfeeding in Minnesota’s WIC Program
Figure 4. Percentage of Breastfeeding Initiation in WIC by County, 2010
Figure 4 shows breastfeeding initiation rates among WIC participants by county in 2010 relative to the Healthy
People (HP) 2010 and 2020 goals of 75% and 81.9% respectively.4 Rates for counties with fewer than twenty
breastfeeding women are not depicted. The lightest color reflects a rate more than one standard deviation below
the Healthy People 2010 goal.
February 2012
Breastfeeding in Minnesota’s WIC Program
Minnesota WIC Breastfeeding Duration
100%
90%
80%
Figure 5. Breastfeeding Duration in
Minnesota WIC Participants Who
Initiated Breastfeeding3
70%
2007
60%
2008
50%
2009
30%
2010
20%
6 or more
weeks
•
•
American Indian NH
Asian NH
White NH
Multiple Races NH
Hispanic
All Races/Ethnicities
10%
•
2007
Black/African-American NH
40%
•
Table 1. WIC Breastfeeding Duration by Race/Ethnicity 3
6 or more
months
12 or more
months
Breastfeeding duration for more than 6-weeks, 6months, and 12-months has increased since 2007
for women who initiated breastfeeding (Figure 5).
Breastfeeding duration (Table 1) increased for all
race/ethnic groups from 2007 to 2010, with the
greatest increases being in the group breastfeeding
for 12 or more months.
From 2007 to 2010 there was a 50.5% increase in
the rate of Asian NH women who breastfed for six
or more weeks (Table 1).
From 2007 to 2010 there was a 15.6% increase in
the rate of American Indian NH who breastfed for 6
or more weeks, and a 36.0% increase in women
breastfeeding for six or more months (Table 1).
Bibliography
1. Ip S, Chung M, Raman G, Chew P, Magula N, DeVine D, Trikalinos T, Lau J.
Breastfeeding and Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes in Developed
Countries. Evidence Report/Technology Assessment No. 153 (Prepared by
Tufts-New England Medical Center Evidence-based Practice Center, under
Contract No. 290-02-0022). AHRQ Publication No. 07-E007. Rockville, MD:
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. April
2007. http://www.ahrq.gov/downloads/pub/evidence/pdf/brfout/brfout.pdf Last
accessed 30 Jan. 2012.
2. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General’s Call to
Action to Support Breastfeeding. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General;
2011. http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/breastfeeding/calltoactiontosuppor
tbreastfeeding.pdf Last accessed 30 Jan. 2012.
3. Minnesota WIC Summary Statistics Report-Breastfeeding: June by year.
4. Healthy People 2020 - Improving the Health of Americans. U.S.
DHSS http://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/default.aspx . Last accessed 30 Jan.
2012..
American Indian NH
Asian NH
Black/African-American NH
White NH
Multiple Races NH
Hispanic
All Races/Ethnicities
American Indian NH
Asian NH
Black/African-American NH
White NH
Multiple Races NH
Hispanic
All Races/Ethnicities
2008
2009
2010
Percent
Increase
2007-10
Percent 6 or more weeks
52.6 62.9 58.0 60.8
15.6
40.4 50.5 53.0 60.8
50.5
76.5 82.3 83.4 85.6
11.9
66.1 68.7 68.8 68.7
3.9
58.3 58.3 59.3 63.1
8.2
72.1 77.4 79.3 80.8
12.1
68.2 71.6 72.3 73.5
7.8
Percent 6 or more months
20.0 32.1 29.3 27.2
36.0
30.6 31.2 29.7 33.4
9.2
56.5 60.8 60.8 61.4
8.7
38.0 40.0 39.0 40.0
5.3
31.6 31.3 30.7 33.6
6.3
49.7 51.2 56.6 55.3
11.3
42.6 45.0 45.7 46.2
8.5
Percent 12 or more months
11.4 18.1 15.0 14.4
26.1
18.0 18.7 18.9 23.0
27.8
31.5 39.4 40.5 38.4
22.1
19.1 23.1 23.9 24.1
26.5
16.0 17.4 17.4 19.2
19.5
29.4 34.8 38.2 38.8
32.2
23.1 27.8 29.2 29.4
27.3
For more information, contact:
WIC Program and CSFP
[email protected]
651-201-4406
[email protected]
651-201-3632
February 2012