The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has issued its final recommendations on breastfeeding on Tuesday, Oct. 25 where it is noted that appropriate intervention by healthcare providers could help improve the rate as well as duration of breastfeeding.

According to USPSTF, primary healthcare providers need to give appropriate breastfeeding advises to women during pregnancy, while in hospital for delivery and also after the newborns are taken home.

The rate of breastfeeding in United States in 2012 was estimated to be 80 percent for initiating the practice, 51.4 percent at about six months and 29.2 percent at 12 months. However, the rates are relatively lower than Healthy People 2020 targets which are 81.9 percent for breastfeeding initiation, 60.6 percent at six months and 34.1 percent at 12 months.

In order to update recommendations laid back in 2008 on primary care interventions to increase the rate of breastfeeding, the USPSTF reviewed around 43 trials and found a positive association between rate of breastfeeding and breastfeeding support and intervention.

"Pooled estimates indicate a beneficial association for any breastfeeding at less than 3 months (risk ratio [RR], 1.07 [95% CI, 1.03 to 1.11]; 26 studies) and at 3 to 6 months (RR, 1.11 [95% CI, 1.04 to 1.18]; 23 studies) and for exclusive breastfeeding at less than 3 months (RR, 1.21 [95% CI, 1.11 to 1.33]; 22 studies) and at 3 to 6 months (RR, 1.20 [95% CI, 1.05 to 1.38]; 18 studies)," noted the USPSTF report.

It was also noted that women's individual-level interventions were linked to 16 percent increase in exclusive breastfeeding at six months. It is projected that to be able to get a woman breastfeed her child for 6 months, healthcare providers has to offer support and advices to at least 30 pregnant women.

The report noted that breastfeeding could reduce the risk of several health outcomes in children including asthma, gastrointestinal tract infection, acute otitis media, atopic dermatitis and conditions like high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes.

Though there are no concrete evidences supporting these claims, breastfeeding is good for children than not nursing at all. The longer the children are breastfed the greater the benefits are. Women who breastfeed their children are at decreased risk of type 2 diabetes, maternal breast and ovarian cancers.

However, the recommendations contradict World Health Organization's advice that urges women to avoid the use of pacifiers. USPSTF noted that pacifier use in babies could help reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. Counseling women against the use of pacifiers could become "ethically problematic," noted the report.

According to WHO's recommendations, no food or drinks other than breast milk should be given to babies until six months, however, USPSTF has it that babies could be highly dehydrated if mothers don't secrete enough milk to nurse the child.

The study is published in JAMA on Oct. 25.