More than three quarters of U.S. mothers breast-feed their babies, the highest rate in at least two decades, according to a government report released Wednesday.

The new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that about 77 percent of new mothers breast-fed, at least briefly, up from 60 percent in 1993-1994.

Health experts attributed the rise to education campaigns by medical groups and government agencies that have sought to educate mothers about the benefits of breast-feeding and, increasingly, the risks associated with infant formula.

“It looks like it is an all-time high. Clearly, the word is getting out. We’re seeing increase among all groups, including minority populations. From a nutritional standpoint, this is ideal for infants,” Jeff Lancashire, a CDC representative said, as quoted by the Associated Press.

New mothers should breast-feed their babies exclusively for the first six months of their life and continue breast-feeding with baby food as a supplement until at least the baby’s first birthday, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend. The World Health Organization and the American Academy of Family Physicians support the same thing.

Human milk is the best food for infants filled with nutrients and antibodies that encourage healthy development and protect against infection after birth, according to the CDC. Moreover, studies have shown that children who are fed formula have increased risks of ear and respiratory infections, obesity, diabetes, and even cancer.

The new report involved in-person interviews as well as physical examinations. The findings are based on information for 434 infants from years 2005 and 2006.

The survey also found that age and income of mothers played important roles in their decision to breast-feed. Therefore, breast-feeding rates were significantly higher among women with higher income – 74 percent compared with women who had lower income, 57 percent.

Also, women who are unmarried, poor, rural, younger than 20, and have a high school education or less had the lowest breastfeeding rates, 43 percent.

Among other findings of the survey: 1.) the highest spike was among African-Americans, as 65 percent of African-American infants are now breast-fed. This compares to only 36 percent in the ‘90s; 2.) For whites, the number rose to 79 percent up from 62 percent in the ‘90s; 3.) 80 percent of Mexican-Americans infants are now breast-fed, compared to only 67 percent in the ‘90s.