Colorado tops most states in breastfeeding rates
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Colorado has among the highest breastfeeding rates in the country, the latest CDC data shows.
The big picture: There's no question that breast milk is the gold standard for infant nutrition, but the pressure to exclusively breastfeed can be crushing for new mothers.
- Pediatric nutrition experts are clear that infant formula is safe, and it's essential if breastfeeding comes at the health expense of the mom.
Driving the news: It's National Breastfeeding Month.
By the numbers: 35% of Colorado babies in 2022 were exclusively breastfed for six months, per CDC data. 72% of babies were ever breastfed.
Zoom out: Those rates exceed the national average, with 28% of babies born in 2022 exclusively breastfed and 62% of babies getting any breast milk at 6 months old.
- Meanwhile, nearly 86% of babies born in 2022 in the U.S. were breastfed at some point — the highest rate recorded since the CDC began tracking the data in the early 2000s.
- The numbers suggest a rise in "combo feeding," when babies are fed with both breast milk and formula.
Editor's note: This story was corrected to reflect the CDC has been tracking breastfeeding data since the early 2000s, not 2015.