Washington WIC Breastfeeding Rates

Year Percent of WIC infants
breastfed at birth
(initiation rate)
Percentage of WIC infants
still breastfed at
six months of age
Year 2000 Percent of WIC infants
breastfed at birth
(initiation rate)
77%
Percentage of WIC infants
still breastfed at
six months of age
36%
Year 2005 Percent of WIC infants
breastfed at birth
(initiation rate)
83%
Percentage of WIC infants
still breastfed at
six months of age
43.6%
Year 2010 Percent of WIC infants
breastfed at birth
(initiation rate)
85.2%
Percentage of WIC infants
still breastfed at
six months of age
43%
Year 2011 Percent of WIC infants
breastfed at birth
(initiation rate)
86.3%
Percentage of WIC infants
still breastfed at
six months of age
45%
Year 2015 Percent of WIC infants
breastfed at birth
(initiation rate)
87.7%
Percentage of WIC infants
still breastfed at
six months of age
46.4%
Year 2016 Percent of WIC infants
breastfed at birth
(initiation rate)
89.3%
Percentage of WIC infants
still breastfed at
six months of age
50.3%
Year 2017 Percent of WIC infants
breastfed at birth
(initiation rate)
89.2%
Percentage of WIC infants
still breastfed at
six months of age
50.7%

Healthy People 2020 set national health objectives for breastfeeding which include increasing the percent of:

  • Mothers who initiate breastfeeding to 81.9 percent.
  • Mothers who continue breastfeeding until their babies are 6 months of age to 60.6 percent.
  • Mothers who continue breastfeeding their babies to one year of age to 46.2 percent.
  • Infants who are exclusively breastfed through 3 months of age to 42.6 percent.
  • Infants who are exclusively breastfed through 6 months of age to 25.5 percent.
  • Employers that have worksite lactation support programs to 38 percent.
  • Births that occur in hospitals and birthing facilities that provide recommended care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies to 8.1 percent.

And reducing:

  • The number of breastfeeding newborns who receive formula supplements within the first 2 days of life to 14.2 percent.

Washington WIC meets the Healthy People 2020 goals for breastfeeding initiation.

To find out about national breastfeeding rates, visit the CDC Breastfeeding Data and Statistics website.