Prevention check
Should I get breastfeeding support?
As of 2021, 27.2% of US babies were exclusively breastfed at 6 months. The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends support during pregnancy and after birth. Check what it says for you.
About you
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What you will see
What the USPSTF says about breastfeeding support for you.
Educational only, not medical advice. How you feed your baby is your choice; this check only shows what the USPSTF recommends clinicians offer.
Source
US Preventive Services Task Force, April 2025 recommendation on primary care behavioral counseling interventions to support breastfeeding.
Validated in
Adolescents and adults who are pregnant or postpartum, and their infants and children.
Limits
It does not cover situations where breastfeeding is not advised, and the USPSTF did not review support for preterm babies. It is not feeding or lactation advice.
What the USPSTF recommends
| Who | Recommendation | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Pregnant and postpartum women | Provide interventions or referrals, during pregnancy and after birth, to support breastfeeding | B |
This matches the 2016 recommendation. Here breastfeeding means feeding at the breast and feeding expressed breast milk from a bottle. Support may also involve partners, other family members and friends (USPSTF 2025).
Why it matters
Breastfeeding has been associated with child health benefits, including lower rates of asthma, respiratory and gastrointestinal infections and infant mortality, and with lower rates of ovarian cancer, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes in the parent (USPSTF 2025). As of 2021, 59.8% of US babies were breastfed at 6 months and 27.2% were exclusively breastfed; the Healthy People 2030 goal for exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months is 42.4% (USPSTF 2025).
What the evidence shows
The USPSTF reviewed 90 trials with more than 49,000 pregnant or postpartum women and their babies. Up to 6 months of follow-up, support raised the share of babies who had any breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding at every time point except the start of any breastfeeding. The effect was larger for exclusive breastfeeding: about 1.46 times as likely at 6 months (USPSTF 2025). It concluded with moderate certainty that support has a moderate net benefit (USPSTF 2025).
Common questions
What does support look like?
Education usually covers the benefits of breastfeeding, practical skills such as latching and how to handle common problems. Support can include information, encouragement and reassurance, and help with positioning and latching during a feed. Support that runs across pregnancy, birth and after birth tends to have greater effects than support at one stage only (USPSTF 2025).
Who gives it?
Nurses, midwives, clinicians, lactation care providers or trained peers, in person, in the hospital or office, at home, or by video, phone or text, one to one or in a group (USPSTF 2025).
Are there harms?
Few trials reported harms. Most found no adverse events, although one reported more anxiety and lower confidence in the support group. In 22 trials, people who got support had fewer breastfeeding problems such as mastitis or sore nipples (USPSTF 2025).
What do other groups recommend?
The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend exclusive breastfeeding for about the first 6 months, then adding other foods and continuing to breastfeed as long as parent and baby want (USPSTF 2025).
Also see the newborn eye ointment check, the depression risk in pregnancy check, the folic acid check and all screening tests by age.
Sources
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Primary Care Behavioral Counseling Interventions to Support Breastfeeding: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2025;333(17):1520-1526. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/breastfeeding-primary-care-interventions
Written and maintained by the uncovermyrisk.com editorial team. We do not have a medical reviewer; every claim links to its primary source above. Last reviewed: 2026-10-31. Spotted an error? See About.