Peer support for breastfeeding in the UK

[摘要] Government policy is to recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months, with continued breastfeeding while solid foods are introduced.1 Current breastfeeding data does not include rates of exclusive breastfeeding but the UK has one of the lowest rates of breastfeeding worldwide, especially among families from disadvantaged groups.2 A marked feature is the rapid decline over the first few weeks. Although 69% of babies in 2000 were put to the breast at least once, one-fifth (21%) of breastfeeding mothers stopped within the first 2 weeks and over a third (36%) by 6 weeks after the birth.3 Only one in 10 of these women had fed for as long as she intended; nine out of 10 would have liked to have breastfed for longer.

[学科分类] 卫生学