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News Release

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, June 4, 2004

Contact: HHS Press Office
(202) 690-6343
Ad Council Press Office
(212) 984-1964

Public Service Campaign to Promote
Breastfeeding Awareness Launched

Emphasizes "Babies were born to be breastfed"

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health (OWH) and the Advertising Council announced today the launch of a new national campaign that encourages first-time mothers to breastfeed exclusively for six months. “Babies were born to be breastfed,” the campaign tag line, memorably summarizes the clear recommendation contained in the new public service announcements (PSAs).

“Like our campaign says, ‘Babies were born to be breastfed,’” Secretary Thompson said. “Breastfeeding exclusively for six months is a powerful way to get a newborn off to a healthy start in life. Hopefully, this campaign will provide mothers with the information and the motivation to breastfeed.”

The United States has one of the lowest rates of breastfeeding in the developed world. While most new mothers initiate breastfeeding, more than one-half discontinue by six months. Recent studies have shown that breastfed babies are less likely to develop ear infections, respiratory illness and diarrhea and may have reduced risk for childhood obesity.

“New parents are often discouraged from breastfeeding because of confusion about duration and doubts about their ability,” said Acting Assistant Secretary of Health Cristina Beato, M.D. “These new public service announcements speak to parents clearly about the consequences of not breastfeeding, which may help encourage more mothers to initiate and continue to breastfeed exclusively for six months.”

Increasing the proportion of mothers who breastfeed their babies is one of the goals in Healthy People 2010, which lays out our nation’s objectives for improving public health. The goal is to increase the proportion of mothers initiating breastfeeding in the early postpartum period to 75 percent by 2010, up from the current level of 70 percent. In addition, the goal is to have 50 percent of mothers continuing to breastfeed at six months by 2010. Currently, only 33 percent of mothers are breastfeeding at six months.

“We are proud to partner with the Office on Women’s Health to communicate the extraordinary benefits of breastfeeding,” according to Peggy Conlon, president & CEO of the Advertising Council. “The new PSAs are unique and captivating -- they depict the reduced risks for children if their mothers breastfeed and I believe the media will generously support the campaign.”

Research has shown that many women know that breastfeeding is the best nutrition for babies. This knowledge has not translated into changed behaviors, and breastfeeding rates have hit a plateau. Parents did not perceive a real consequence to opting out of breastfeeding. Based on this research, these PSAs take a new approach. The campaign seeks to build confidence while highlighting the consequences of not breastfeeding. Through the tag line “Babies were born to be breastfed,” the PSAs put forth a message that is both empowering and compelling.

The campaign includes television, radio, newspaper, magazine and outdoor PSAs that communicate the importance of breastfeeding. All of the PSAs conclude with the campaign tagline and direct audiences to talk to their health care provider or contact the National Women's Health Information Center’s free breastfeeding helpline at 1-800-994-WOMAN or visit the Web site at www.4woman.gov.

Consistent with the Ad Council model, the PSAs will be distributed to 28,000 media outlets nationwide and will run and air in advertising time and space that is donated by the media. The PSAs will be available Monday at www.4woman.gov or www.adcouncil.org.

The Office on Women's Health in the Department of Health and Human Services is the government’s champion and focal point for women's health issues, and works to redress inequities in research, health care services, and education that have historically placed the health of women at risk. The Office on Women's Health coordinates women's health efforts in HHS to eliminate disparities in health status and supports culturally sensitive educational programs that encourage women to take personal responsibility for their own health and wellness. To learn more about the OWH, visit its Web site at www.4woman.gov/owh.

The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization with a 60-year history of marshalling volunteer talent from the advertising and media industries to deliver critical messages to the American public. The Ad Council has produced thousands of public service campaigns that address the most pressing social issues of the day. Ad Council icons and slogans are woven into the very fabric of American culture -- from Smokey Bear's “Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires” and McGruff the Crime Dog's: “Take A Bite Out of Crime,” to the United Negro College Fund’s: “A Mind is a Terrible Thing To Waste,” and "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk.” The Ad Council has received more than $1 billion in donated media for its campaigns each year since 1998. To learn more about the Ad Council and its campaigns, visit its Web site at www.adcouncil.org.

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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.

Last Revised: June 7, 2004

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