Breastfeeding rate falling short of target

Human beings are mammals, characterized by milk-producing organs in the female for nourishing the young. However, some mothers have abandoned the natural way in favor of infant formula to feed their newborns.

It is difficult for China to meet the national target of 85 percent breastfeeding by 2010, experts said.

"The country's breastfeeding rate is about 70 percent, with the rural rate higher than that in the cities," Lai Jianqiang, a researcher with the National Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety, said.