The number of moms who breastfeed their babies has increased by 30% in the last decade. A new report by the Centers for Disease Control shows that the number of moms who breastfeed their babies has increased from 60% in 1993-1994 to 77% in 2005-2006.

There are many benefits to breastfeeding: human milk is the perfect for babies, containing all of the nutrients a growing infant requires. Because the immune system of newborns is underdeveloped, antibodies from the mother are carried in the breast milk and transferred to the baby during every feeding.

The report shows that babies of Hispanic mothers are most likely to benefit from these advantages, with a full 80% of Mexican American mothers breastfeeding. Non-Hispanic white babies are close behind, with 79% of those surveyed being breastfed. Perhaps the most dramatic increase in bresatfeeding rates is among non-Hispanic black infants. In the 1993-1994 period, only 36% of those infants were breastfed compared to 65% in the 2005-2006 period. However, breastfeeding rates among non-Hispanic black infants are still far lower than other demographic subgroups.

The report shows that income level and ethnicity play a part, with higher income families having a higher rate of breastfeeding among all subgroups except for Mexican American moms. For more information about the report view the NCHS Data Brief.