National Survey Shows Most Mothers and Caregivers of Infants in U.S. Believe Breast Milk is Healthiest Option, but Need to Use Formula at Some Point in the First Year

Most Need Options and Information Beyond "Breast is Best"

Greater Awareness of the Risks of Non-Recommended Infant Feeding Options is Needed

Mothers and Caregivers Want Information on Nutritious Toddler Feeding Options 

WASHINGTON, April 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The bipartisan team of GQR and Public Opinion Strategies (POS) released results from a national survey conducted on behalf of the Infant Nutrition Council of America that examines how mothers and caregivers across demographic and racial groups choose to feed their infants and the factors that influence those decisions[1]. The survey was conducted among 1,500 mothers and caregivers in the U.S. with children less than 12 months of age.

The vast majority of mothers and caregivers acknowledge that breastfeeding is the healthiest option, but most use a mix of breast milk and infant formula to feed their infants during the baby's first year. Those who choose infant formula largely do so out of necessity, either due to health concerns and concerns about breast milk production, lack of support from their place of employment, or because the birth mother simply is not available. But even mothers who breastfeed report barriers and lack of support from employees including time and space to pump. Additionally, the survey asked mothers and caregivers of young children 12-24 months of age about their feeding concerns. The vast majority of mothers and caregivers want access to information about nutritious feeding options for their toddlers (12-24 months).

"Caregivers need accurate, complete information on the best ways to feed their babies that relate to their circumstances, and that needs to go beyond just breastfeeding," said former Senator Blanche Lincoln, President of the Infant Nutrition Council of America. "The reality is that many families cannot rely only on breastfeeding due to their health, work, or simply not having the birth mother around, and they need another option. They look to healthcare professionals and government information sources to help navigate these situations."

Within an infant's first year, 78 percent of mothers say they fed their baby some breastmilk, either exclusively or supplemented with infant formula. The results are similar for formula – 79 percent of mothers and 89 percent of caregivers feed their infants at least some formula in the first year.

Feeding practices are somewhat dependent on life circumstances: 55 percent of mothers working outside the home rely on a mix of breast milk and formula, compared to 44 percent of mothers working at home and 36 percent of non-working mothers. Mothers who are in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) are more likely to exclusively use formula (36 percent) compared to mothers who are not in the WIC program (29 percent).

Those who turn to formula often do so out of necessity. Most mothers believe that milk production, medical conditions, employer issues, and access to healthcare professionals or pumping equipment are considerable barriers to breastfeeding. Nearly one in five mothers and caregivers report a health problem affecting them or their baby that prevented breastfeeding. Mothers exclusively feeding with breast milk say that not having time to pump at work or lack of support from their employer is a barrier to breastfeeding.

With the need for flexibility in mind, most mothers and caregivers want healthcare providers and the government to provide resources on both breastfeeding and infant formula. They want this information to meet the needs of mothers and caregivers and to be scientific and easy to understand. Both mothers (70 percent) and caregivers (69 percent) oppose the government restricting infant feeding information to breastfeeding only. Even more – four out of five – mothers and caregivers want the government to promote a variety of healthy ways to feed their infants, including both breastfeeding and using formula.

Additionally, mothers and caregivers need greater awareness of the risks related to non-recommended infant feeding options. Providing accurate, balanced information helps avoid risky feeding practices. Of particular concern, the survey found that 47 percent of mothers and 51 percent of caregivers view homemade or non-store-bought formula as non-risky, and 62 percent of mothers and 59 percent of caregivers view sharing breastmilk as non-risky.

Additional key findings from the survey include:

• Feeding practices vary by race, with mothers of color (48 percent) being more likely than white mothers (40 percent) to feed their infants a mix of both breast milk and formula. Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) mothers are particularly likely to use a mix of both (73 percent), as do about half of Hispanic mothers (50 percent) and Black mothers (48 percent).
• Most mothers (65 percent) feel judged for their feeding decisions. Mothers who are exclusively using breast milk are least likely to feel judged (53 percent), compared to 70 percent of those who use both formula and breast milk and 65 percent of those who use formula only.
• While most mothers (63 percent) and caregivers (52 percent) report that they decided how to feed their infant prior to giving birth or the baby's arrival, most mothers (91 percent) and caregivers (88 percent) said they were given information about feeding their infant when the baby was born. Mothers mostly received this information from a nurse (69 percent) or lactation consultant (65 percent), while caregivers mostly received information from a nurse (70 percent).
• In addition to healthcare professionals, mothers and caregivers rate government websites and clinics as very important sources of information about infant feeding, including WIC websites or clinics (51 percent among mothers, 49 percent among caregivers), government websites like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (44 percent among mothers, 41 percent among caregivers), and state department of health websites (42 percent among both mothers and caregivers).
• About half of mothers (47 percent) and caregivers (50 percent) say information needs to meet the needs of all parents and caregivers, and similar numbers say the information should be easy to understand (47 percent of mothers, 44 percent of caregivers).

For more details about the survey, data points, and methodology, please download the full report.

[1] GQR and Public Opinion Strategies conducted a survey of mothers and caregivers that fielded from August 7 to August 19, 2023. The sample of mothers who had given birth in the last 12 months was conducted online (n=800) with oversamples of Black (n=100), Hispanic (n=100) and AAPI (n=100) mothers; demographic controls based on the American Community Survey by the U.S. Census Bureau of mothers who had a birth in the last 12 months were used to ensure representation. The sample of 400 caregivers was also conducted online; caregivers were defined as spending more than 30 hours per week caring for an infant under 12 months old, outside of commercial day care.

CONTACT: Jared Richie, [email protected] 

SOURCE GQR; Public Opinion Strategies