Breastfeeding rates and public health

Question 1

What are the 10 steps to successful breastfeeding?

Answer 1

1. Breastfeeding policy
2. Train staff in the skills needed
3. Educate pregnant women about benefits and management of breastfeeding
4. Assist initiating BF soon after birth
5. Show how to breastfeed and maintain lactation even if separated
6. Only give newborns breastmilk unless medically indicated
7. Practice rooming in
8. Encourage to breastfeed on demand
9. No artificial teats or dummies
10. Give mums info on national and local BF support before discharge from hospital

Question 2

Breastfeeding rates in the UK

Answer 2

Breastfeeding iniation = 74%
Breastfeeding at 6 weeks = 44%
Breastfeeding at 6 months = 36%
Only 1% breastfeed exclusively until 6 months

Question 3

What would happen if more babies were exclusively breastfed?

Answer 3

Could cut the incidence of common childhood disease such as ear, chest and gut infection.
Save the NHS up to £50 million a year

Question 4

How to improve breastfeeding rates?

Answer 4

Face to face
Ongoing predictable support to families across all public services
Social support in the community

Question 5

Who is more likely to breastfeed?

Answer 5

Ethnic minority groups are more likely than white mothers

Question 6

The breastfeeding act

Answer 6

Makes it an offence to prevent a person feeding in public where an infant is legally entitled to be