Insufficient milk supply among black and white breast-feeding mothers.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether ethnicity is associated with insufficient milk supply (IMS) among breast-feeding mothers. A major reason reported by mothers for early termination or introduction of formula and/or solids is insufficient milk. A retrospective survey was conducted among 42 black and 148 white breast-feeding mothers participating in the WIC program in a midwestern state. The results suggested that: (1) the incidence of IMS was similar for black and white mothers; (2) controlling for education, black mothers initiated breast-feeding later and stopped sooner; IMS mothers fed less frequently and for shorter periods; and (3) controlling for education, there were no ethnic differences in the determinants or indicators of IMS.