The average American mother still has trouble findingbreast-feeding accommodation, according to a new study.

Research led by Katy Kozhimannil, a professor at the Universityof Minnesota School of Public Health, found that less than half ofbreast-feeding mothers were able to find private places besidesbathrooms to express milk at work.

On a slightly more positive note, the study found that 59percent of women who returned to work postpartum said they weregiven enough break time to express breast milk, even if it wasinconvenient to find a suitable place.

Unsurprisingly, low-income workers were less likely to beaccommodated.

The study sought not only to shed light on the discomfort orinconvenience that some workplaces cause mothers, but the potentialeffects on the health of newborn babies.

Case and point: The 40 percent of respondents who reportedhaving access to both adequate accommodation and time forbreast-feeding were 2.3 times more likely to report exclusivelybreast-feeding their child for the first six months ofinfancy.

Kozhimannil sees the data as troubling evidence that manychildren are not receiving the benefits of breast milk early inlife because of inflexible workplaces. ThePatient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires employers withmore than 50 employees to provide postpartum employees withreasonable break time as well as a private space to express breastmilk.

“Our findings suggest that compliance with this regulation maybe lacking, which may have real consequences for women and families," she saidin a statement.

In addition to requiring accommodation for breastfeeding throughPPACA, the federal government has put in place policies aimed atincreasing breastfeeding. The IRS began in recent years to includebreastfeeding supplies as eligible HSA expenses, and PPACA requiresnon-grandfathered health insurers to pay for the cost ofbreast-pump rentals as well as breast-feedingconsultations.

The Department of Health and Human Services has also argued that employers thataccommodate employees will see a handsome return on theinvestment.