Advances and Challenges in Breastfeeding

Dear Colleagues,

Breastfeeding is a key public health strategy to improve the health of mothers and their infants. It is the best source of nutrition for most infants and reduces the risk for some short- and long-term health conditions for both infants and mothers. Clinicians, public health advisors, nutritionists, and others have been attempting to increase breastfeeding rates for the last few decades, with varying degrees of success. We need social science researchers to help us understand the role of infant feeding in the family.

While breastfeeding rates are increasing in all racial/ethnic populations, disparities in breastfeeding continue, with the lowest rates of breastfeeding being reported among African American and Native American mothers/infants. Low rates of breastfeeding add more than $3 billion a year to medical costs for women and children in the United States. Actions are needed with a focus on health equity and decreasing disparities in breastfeeding, primarily among African American and Native American families.

This Special Issue will present original articles, systematic reviews, meta-analysis, and case reports on breastfeeding. Original articles may discuss community interventions in improving barriers of breastfeeding, community-based participatory research (CBPR), theory of planned behavior, current and novel public health emergencies that threaten the support system for breastfeeding, social and ecological studies, and epidemiological studies on health benefits of breastfeeding and health risks of lack of breastfeeding. Case studies may address maternity care practices, lactation accommodation at worksites, baby-friendly initiatives, and impact of policies supporting breastfeeding.  

Prof. Dr. Amal K. Mitra
Guest Editor

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