Date of Award

2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)

Committee Chair

Nicole Waters

Abstract

Breast milk is recognized as the optimal source of nutrition for infants because of its unique nutritional and immunological characteristics. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of an infant’s life. "Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF)" is defined as no other food or drink except breast milk for the first six months of life. Despite its countless benefits to children and mothers, the continuation rates of exclusive breastfeeding are low in the United States, especially in the Medicaid/Women Infant and Children population. It is vital to understand how multiple factors affect breastfeeding practices in order to improve the duration of exclusive breastfeeding.

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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