Breast-feeding Increase Heralded

The state’s top health official said it’s good news that more New Mexico mothers are breast-feeding their babies.

New Mexico Health Secretary Catherine Torres said she’s encouraged by findings of a recent report released by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC report said that 81.5 percent of New Mexico mothers breast-fed their babies at some point. That’s up from 73.1 percent in last year’s report.

Torres, who is a pediatrician, said breast milk is easier to digest than formula and that breastfeeding helps build a baby’s immune system.