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INTRODUCTION

In recent years, renewed scientific interest in breast feeding has led to a push to increase the rates of breast-feeding initiation and duration. In fact, the United States Health Department has listed breast-feeding initiation and continuation as a key National Health Objective for increasing the health of America ("Healthy," 1990). By the year 2000 the goal is to increase by at least 75% the proportion of mothers who initiate breast feeding and the proportion who continue breast feeding for at least 6 months to 50%. Although breast-feeding rates have increased slightly since 1990, the percentage of women currently electing to breast feed their babies is still lower than the levels reported in the mid-1980s and is far below the National Health Objective for the year 2000.

Why the interest in increasing the rate of breast feeding? Many people in the public and professional community are asking this very question. Despite the dozens of studies published in recent years showing the benefits of breast feeding, the advantages of breast feeding over formula feeding are still not known by most health professionals. I became personally aware of this issue last year while I worked with the Pepin-Dunn County Women, Infants, and Children clinic. I was assigned to educate the obstetric and pediatric staff of rural a Wisconsin hospital. During this assignment, I learned some of the doctors still thought cow's milk was as good for babies as breast milk, a practice that has been recognized as harmful to infants for almost two and a half decades (Newman, 1995). Unfortunately, other professionals have informed me that lack of breast-feeding knowledge in the health care setting is prevalent.

Professionals need to be educated about the latest research concerning breast feeding and how it pertains to the public interest. Breast feeding has been extensively researched in the last two decades, and it is time health professionals learn what the research is saying. Numerous benefits have been unveiled recently, and these have direct health implications on the well being of millions of people.

Breast feeding has been linked with health benefits in infants as well as mothers. Infants who have been breast fed have been found to have fewer infections leading to diarrhea, respiratory distress, and otitis media (inflammation of the middle ear). Recent research of mothers who breast feed has shown decreased incidence of two serious health issues women confront: osteoporosis and breast-cancer. This article will present some of the recent research on those topics and provide suggestions to health professionals on how to become more involved in breast feeding.

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