Colorado.gov: Colorado's Official Website

 

  

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

Colorado Physical Activity and Nutrition Program
 
Home
About COPAN
 Task Forces and Initiatives
Resource Kits
Contact Staff
 

Many documents on this site are PDF files, which require the use of the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.  

Acrobat Reader

 

Defining the Issue

Healthy People 2010 has set goals for breastfeeding with regard to initiation and duration. The goal is a 75 percent initiation rate and a 50 percent duration rate. In other words, the goal is for 75 percent of all postpartum mothers to begin breastfeeding and for 50 percent of those mothers to continue breastfeeding until the baby is six months of age. 

In 2001, the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System showed that Colorado's initiation rate exceeded the Healthy People 2010 Objectives with 81.7 percent of mothers initiating breastfeeding. However, only 21.2 percent of those women continued breastfeeding until 20 weeks postpartum and 64 percent of breastfed infants received other food at less than nine weeks of age. Two reasons women cite for quitting breastfeeding are breastfeeding difficulties (such as perceived or actual low milk supply) and needing to return to work or school. 

Lactation services to assist with breastfeeding challenges are typically not covered by insurance, and the fee for consultations can range from $40 to $50 per half-hour. There are a few resources in Colorado, such as La Leche League; Women, Infants and Children; and community hospitals; which can help with breastfeeding problems, but not all of these are available in every county nor to all women. In addition, effective double-sided breast pumps for purchase range from $250 to $300, and breast pump rental rates are also high, ranging from $1.50 to $2 a day. This is financially prohibitive for many women. 

While having access to the baby or a breast pump is key to successfully breastfeeding when one returns to work, it is also imperative that the mother has a supportive workplace environment. Many women in Colorado begin breastfeeding, but without assistance and encouragement, they tend to quit just weeks after starting. Failure of mothers to breastfeed their infants can lead to increased illness, obesity, and chronic diseases.