Nursing intervention to increase the duration of breastfeeding

OF HEALTH and Human Services (1994) published the Healthy People 2000 guidelines as a statement of national concerns regarding health in the U.S. One Healthy People 2000 objective is to increase the percentage of women who continue to breastfeed for the first 6 months of their infant's life.The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that women breastfeed their infant's for the first year of life (Gartner, 1997).An intervention that increases the duration of breastfeeding in low-income women offers health benefits to mothers and babies (Krebs & Murtaugh, 1997).The benefits of breastfeeding are well established.Women who breastfeed are less likely to develop osteoporosis and some forms of cancer (Cummings, Kelsey, & Nevitt, 1985;Michels et al., 1996;Schneider, 1987).Furthermore, breastfeeding is empowering for low-income minority women (Locklin & Naber, 1993).Infants who are breastfed for at least 4 months are less likely to die of sudden