Summary

The Infant Health Practices dashboard provides Texas data on infant health topics including breastfeeding and safe sleep.

Data Sources

National Immunization Survey

Texas Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) Survey

Healthy People 2030

2018 Texas WIC Infant Feeding Practices Survey

Data Description

Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology combines different data sources across many years to provide an overview of Texas infant health. The data support programs and policymakers monitor trends and make decisions to improve the health of Texas mothers and babies.

Because of rounding, some numbers in figures, graphs, or written results may not add to the total amount. Data and results are based on the most recent data available. The dashboard is updated as new data is available.

Baby-Friendly Hospital: Hospitals designated through the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) apply best practice standards known as Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. The Ten Steps increase in-hospital breastfeeding rates which improves health for mothers and their infants right from the start. To achieve BFHI designation, which is accredited nationally through the organization Baby-Friendly USA, a facility must:

• Demonstrate that at least 80 percent of mothers are exclusively breastfeeding at the time of discharge or that there was a medical indication or parental request for formula;
• Adhere to the International Code of Marketing Breastmilk Substitutes; and
• Successfully implement the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding (Ten Steps).

Confidence Interval (CI): A confidence interval measures the precision of an estimate, such as a percentage. A CI is a range with an upper and lower number. The true population value is supposed to fall within the range of numbers. A 95% confidence interval means that if 100 intervals were calculated, 95 of the intervals will contain the true population value. Smaller ranges mean the estimate is more precise while larger ranges mean the estimate is less precise.

Race and Ethnicity: Race or ethnicity information shown in the dashboard refers to the mother, not the infant. Women who identified themselves as Hispanic were classified as Hispanic regardless of race. Women who did not identify as Hispanic were classified as non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, or non-Hispanic Other. The non-Hispanic Other category includes Native American, Asian, or multiracial.

DSHS Campaigns and Initiatives

Learn more about what the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is doing to improve infant health.

Safe Infant Sleep Campaign
Right from the Start Brastfeeding Awareness Campaign
Texas Mother Friendly Worksite Program
Texas Collaborative for Healthy Mothers and Babies (TCHMB)

Additional Information

Bartick, M., & Reinhold, A. (2010). The burden of suboptimal brastfeeding in the United States: a pediatric cost analysis. Pediatrics, 125(5), e1048-e1056.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, December 9). About Breastfeeding. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/php/about/index.html

Crowe, S. D., & Hanley, L. E. (2018). Optimizing Support for Breastfeeding as Part of Obstetric Practice. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 132(4), E187-E196.

Johnston M, Landers S, Noble L, Szucs K, Viehmann L (2012). Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk. Section on Breastfeeding. Pediatrics Mar 2012, 129(3) DOI: 10.15422/peds.2011-3552.

Breastfeeding Challenges: ACOG Committee Opinion Summary, Number 820. (2021) Obstet Gynecol.137(2), 394-395.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, November). NIS-child data results. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding-data/survey/results.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity. Data, Trend and Maps. Retrieved from www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/data-trends-maps/index.html [Accessed October 21, 2022].

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2016). Optimizing support for breastfeeding as part of obstetric practice. Committee Opinion No. 658. Obstet Gynecol, 127(2), e86-e92.