Earlier this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that World Breastfeeding Week would take place under the theme ‘Closing the gap: Breastfeeding support for all’. As part of the launch, Unicef and WHO emphasised a ‘need to improve breastfeeding support as a critical action for reducing health inequity and protecting the rights of mothers and babies to survive and thrive’. They added that when breastfeeding is protected and supported, women are more than twice as likely to breastfeed and that it is a shared responsibility, with families, communities, healthcare workers, policymakers, and other decision-makers ‘playing a central role’ (WHO, 2024).
Exclusive breastfeeding is defined as only giving an infant breast milk for the first 6 months of life with no other food or water, and it is stated that this has the single largest potential impact on child mortality of any preventive intervention. Crucially, the WHO says this is part of optimal breastfeeding practices which include initiation within 1 hour of life and continued breastfeeding for up to 2 years of age or beyond (WHO, 2014).
A study conducted in Brazil in 2015 highlighted a need to develop strategies and policies encouraging continued breastfeeding across the world, and the results remain relevant as ever. The authors concluded that implementing policies that support the balance between women's work and continued breastfeeding are vital, as well as educational campaigns about the benefits of continued breastfeeding (Pastro et al, 2024).
Up-to-date information about breastfeeding rates in the UK is not currently available; the last Infant Feeding Survey was conducted in 2010, and its key findings were that breastfeeding initiation was 81% (up from 76% in 2005), with exclusive breastfeeding at 6 weeks dropping to 24% in England, 17% in Wales and 13% in Northern Ireland. In 2018, the Maternal and Infant Nutrition Survey results were published in Scotland, which showed improvements in breastfeeding rates at 6 months, increasing from 32% in 2010 to 43% in 2017. It is suggested that in Scotland this was achieved in part due to a sustained effort to implement Baby Friendly accreditation (Unicef, 2018).
It is clear, however, that there is more work to do to support women with continued breastfeeding. This month's issue features a research study that raises some concerning questions about the messages mothers are receiving from health professionals about breastfeeding, specifically beyond the first year of an infant's life. Some of the comments reported by the participants paint a picture of the stark reality women are facing in the UK, reminding us of the need not only for evidence-based advice about breastfeeding, but also consideration of the delivery of those messages, which can have a significant impact on women's experiences of motherhood, and the valuable support health services can provide to make continued breastfeeding easier; or ideally even enjoyable.
If you would like to contribute to the conversation please do get in touch – we would love to hear from you. Email us at jfch@markallengroup.com.