Giving children the best start in life

29th December 2014

Breastfeeding summit to be held in new year.

Partners from across health, local authority and third sector will come together in the new year to kick off a year-long commitment to actively promote breastfeeding and support more women to breastfeed for longer.

The Breastfeeding Summit, to be held on Tuesday 24 February in Edinburgh, will examine what can be done to increase breastfeeding rates, which have remained relatively static across Scotland over the last decade.

Latest figures show 48.4 per cent of babies were breastfed at the first visit (around 10 days) in 2013/14. This compared with 44.4 per cent in 2004/05. The figures show a trend towards mixed feeding, where the baby is fed both breast and formula milk, and a decline by the 6-8 week review.

Leading experts will share the latest evidence on the benefits of breastfeeding, review what is working well, and identify key national and local actions to drive up rates and remove any barriers that exist.

The event will also explore ways to further support the increasing rates of breastfeeding in the most deprived areas, helping to reduce health inequalities.

While rates are increasing in mothers from disadvantaged backgrounds, up by 7.2 over the last nine years, there remains a clear association between breastfeeding and deprivation, with mothers in the least deprived areas nearly three times as likely to exclusively breastfeed at 6-8 weeks compared with those in the most deprived areas.

Minister for Public Health, Maureen Watt, said:"This Breastfeeding Summit will give us the chance to explore new ways to drive up breastfeeding rates. It's an opportunity to bring experts together to discuss how we can support more mothers to decide to breastfeed for longer.

“Breastfeeding has major health benefits, in the short and longer term, for both mother and baby. That is why the Scottish Government continues to promote it as the best source of nutrition for babies.

“We know it is important to understand the factors which influence a mother’s infant feeding decision and develop effective strategies to encourage more women to breastfeed. Research shows that women who know about the health benefits of breastfeeding are more likely to start, therefore it’s essential that in the antenatal period the health benefits of breastfeeding are discussed and explained to all women."

Promoting and supporting breastfeeding is a key component of Scottish Government’s Framework for Maternal and Infant Nutrition and there is strong evidence that breastfeeding in infancy has a protective effect against many childhood illnesses.

Breastfed infants are likely to have a reduced risk of infection, particularly those affecting the ear, respiratory tract and gastro-intestinal tract. This protective effect is particularly marked in low birth weight infants. Other probable benefits include improved cognitive and psychological development, and a reduced risk of childhood obesity. There is also evidence that women who breastfed have lower risks of breast cancer, epithelial ovarian cancer and hip fracture later in life

Background:
• The Breastfeeding Summit will take place at Murrayfield, Edinburgh on Tuesday 24 February. Further details available at - http://bookings.shscevents.co.uk/all/2994

• The Scottish Government published Improving Maternal and Infant Nutrition: A Framework for Action in January 2011. This is the first framework which provides a way forward for increasing breastfeeding rates as well as improving nutrition for pregnant and young women. An implementation group is in place to oversee the implementation of the Framework. Funding has been allocated to NHS Boards and local and national progress is being monitored, including action to encourage and support breastfeeding, with a particular focus on deprived areas and groups least likely to breastfeed.

• The Scottish Government has adopted as policy World Health Organisation (WHO) guidance recommending exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of an infant’s life. There exists a large and robust body of evidence demonstrating the short and long term health benefits of breastfeeding for both mothers and infants

• Breastfeeding rates in Scotland are monitored and published annually - the full statistical publication can be viewed at http://www.isdscotland.org/

• In 2013/14, 48.4 per cent of babies were breastfed at the first visit, falling to 37.9 per cent at the 6–8 week review.

• World Breastfeeding Awareness Week is from 20th June – 26th June 2015

• The Breastfeeding etc (Scotland) Act 2005 makes it an offence to prevent or stop a person in charge of a child under the age of two years, who is otherwise permitted to be in a public place, from feeding milk to that child. This legislation is the first of its kind in the UK and Scotland is one of the only countries worldwide to enshrine such protection in legislation.