According to data from the Mothers Survey, U.S. breastfeeding rates have declined from 2005 to 2006.

The Mothers Survey is distributed annually by Ross Products Division of Abbott and is one of two survey tools used to collect U.S. breastfeeding data. The second is the National Immunization Survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to the most recent Mothers Survey data, in-hospital breastfeeding rates decreased from 66.3 percent in 2005 to 63.6 percent in 2006, and 6-month rates decreased from 32.9 percent to 30.0 percent.

Similar declines were reported in rates of exclusive breastfeeding, with in-hospital rates decreasing from 41.2 percent to 38.4 percent and 6-month rates decreasing from 18.0 percent to 16.5 percent. Decreases were reported in all ethnic groups.

Data from the National Immunization Survey (NIS) should be available soon. If the NIS data show similar declines, theories behind the declines will need to be explored and strategies for reversing the course identified.