A woman's ability to initiate and sustain breastfeeding is influenced by a host of factors, including the community in which she lives.1 A woman's community has many components, such as public health and other community-based programs, coalitions and organizations, schools and child care centers, businesses and industry, and the media. The extent to which each of these entities supports or discourages breastfeeding can be crucial to a success in breastfeeding.
How Communities Can Support Breastfeeding
- Strengthen programs that provide mother-to-mother support and peer counseling. [PDF-903.73Kb]
- Use community-based organizations to promote and support breastfeeding.[PDF-903.73Kb]
- Create a national campaign to promote breastfeeding.[PDF-903.73Kb]
- Ensure that the marketing of infant formula is conducted in a way that minimizes its negative impacts on exclusive breastfeeding.[PDF-903.73Kb]
- Bentley ME, Dee DL, Jensen JL. Breastfeeding among low income, African-American women: power, beliefs and decision making. J Nutr 2003;133(Suppl):305S–309S.
- Page last reviewed: April 15, 2013
- Page last updated: June 17, 2015
- Content source: