More than 61% of children 6 months or younger in China are now predominantly fed breast milk, but the rate of exclusive breastfeeding remains¹ low, according to new research.

一项最新研究显示，目前我国6个月内婴儿的基本纯母乳喂养率超过61%，但纯母乳喂养率仍偏低。

A child is considered exclusively breastfed when breast milk is given without any additional food or liquid, health experts said.

健康专家表示，纯母乳喂养指的是不给孩子喂母乳以外的任何固体或液体食物。

China's top health regulator aims to raise the rate of exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life to 50% by 2020.

中国最高健康管理部门计划，到2020年，将6个月以下婴儿纯母乳喂养率提高至50%。

"The rate now is higher than the 20.8% measured by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention in 2013, but it's still far from the 2020 goal," said Lu Mai, vice-chairman of the China Development Research Foundation.

中国发展研究基金会副理事长卢迈表示：“目前的纯母乳喂养率高于2013年国家疾控中心统计的20.8%，但仍远低于2020年的目标值。”

The new research was conducted from September to December and was based on more than 10,000 questionnaires collected in 12 urban and rural regions.

这一新研究是在9月至12月进行的，基于在12个城市和农村地区收集的超过1000份调查问卷。

Major barriers to achieving a higher rate of exclusive breastfeeding include a lack of facilities in public areas and workplaces, poor implementation² of maternity³ leave and poor compliance⁴ with the International Code of Marketing⁵ of Breast-milk Substitutes, experts said.

专家称，阻碍纯母乳喂养率提升的因素包括公共和工作场所缺乏相关设施、产假落实不力、未严格遵守《国际母乳代用品销售守则》。

The latest data also show families in large cities tend to mix infant formula with breast milk, and those in smaller cities and rural areas prefer feeding their children with additional liquid and solids along with breast milk.

最新数据还表明，大城市的家庭倾向于将婴儿配方奶粉与母乳混合，而小城市和农村地区的家庭则更愿意为孩子提供额外的液体和固体以及母乳。