The need for research-tested smartphone applications for promoting breastfeeding

Compared with all other racial/ethnic groups in the U.S., African American women have the lowest rates of breastfeeding initiation, as well as continuation at 6 months (1). Among infants born in 2012, the rate of breastfeeding at 6 months was 35.3% among non-Hispanic blacks as compared with 51.4% for all infants in the U.S. (1). The rate of exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months was 13.9% among non-Hispanic blacks as compared with 21.9% for all U.S. infants. African American women are 2.5 times less likely to breastfeed than white women (2). Currently, African American women are not meeting any of the Healthy People 2020 objectives for breastfeeding.