African-American women in the United States are less likely to receive breastfeeding support than white women, said a new study conducted by researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The study was published in the August 22 issue of the CDC publication, "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report."

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A CDC team studied records from 2,727 hospitals and birth centers in the United States to find out if there were any differences between support given to breastfeeding black mothers compared to other races.

The study by Jennifer Lind, CDC epidemiologist and study author, and her team found that black women received 16 percent less support when it came to breastfeeding compared to white women.

Maternity wards that housed more black mothers were 50 percent less likely to discourage women from using formula milk as a substitute for breastfeeding.

The wards were also seven percent more likely to give newborns pacifiers that discourage breastfeeding.

The study also shows 14 percent more white women were given proper breastfeeding information. Maternity wards also allowed them to bond more with their children, allowing the infants to stay by their mother's side after birth.

"This study shows the best support is not where it's most needed. If we could just change the hospital practices, I think we could have a lot more equity," said Dr. Miriam Labbok, founding director of Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute, who wasn't part of the study.

Researchers said they need to delve into the subject further to establish the reasons behind the disparity in maternity care education. They also aim to determine if poor maternity care in hospitals have any relation to low breastfeeding rates.

Meanwhile, the African American Breastfeeding project recently released a mini-documentary featuring black breastfeeding mothers and educators to raise awareness regarding the importance of breastfeeding.