Tennessee ranks 49th in breastfeeding

photo Breastfeeding tile

Tennessee ranks near the bottom among states in the percentage of babies breastfed at birth - and who continue to be breastfed as they mark their three-, six- and 12-month milestones.

The data released this month by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention concerns breastfeeding advocates such as Julie Hamilton, who said women in Tennessee are getting mixed messages.

"We talk about breastfeeding from a public health perspective," Hamilton said. "It reduces breast cancer, obesity, diabetes - all the things we are struggling with as a state. We tell moms, 'Oh, this is so important.'

Read more from our news partners at The Tennessean.

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