From Medscape this am:
Breastfeeding Rates in Scotland Better but Not on Target
LONDON (Reuters Health) Jun 01 - Efforts to encourage Scottish women to
breastfeed have been moderately successful, but a government target of 50%
of women breastfeeding for 6 weeks by 2005 is not likely to be met,
researchers said Friday.
"Scotland, Ireland and Poland have the worst rates of breastfeeding in
Europe," said study author David M Tappin from the Royal Hospital for Sick
Children in Glasgow. In an effort to improve this situation, the Scottish
Office in 1994 adopted a target of 50% breastfeeding at 6 weeks of age by
2005.
Tappin and colleagues say this target "will not be met unless further health
promotion measures are adopted quickly." Their analysis, published in the
British Medical Journal for June 2, shows that breastfeeding at 7 days rose
6.4%, from 35.6% to 42%, between 1990 and 1997. But 2.6% of that rise was
due to an increase in the average age of mothers. Older mothers are more
likely to breastfeed.
Also, "it is worth bearing in mind that some areas will achieve this target,
and others will not," coauthor Jane Britten told Reuters Health. The study
shows a great degree of regional variation in the change in breastfeeding
rates, which increased 11.5% in Edinburgh, but dropped 5.5% in Aberdeen, for
example, during the study period.
Tappin added that "at present in Glasgow only about 50% of women want to
breastfeed when asked at the beginning of their pregnancy. Therefore, to
achieve a 50% rate at 6 weeks postnatal age is almost impossible in
Glasgow."
Socioeconomic status is known to play a part in breastfeeding rates, the
researchers said. "Research needs to be done in health promotion methods to
change people's attitudes towards breastfeeding so it becomes the socially
acceptable way to feed your baby in all strata of society," Dr. Tappin told
Reuters Health. "Then more women will want to breastfeed, and with good
support will achieve their aim."
Scottish health authorities are making some effort to promote and support
breastfeeding, the researchers note. Most Health Boards have a breastfeeding
strategy and have set local targets, and most maternity hospitals have
achieved or are seeking Baby Friendly status.
But to speed up the process, Britten said, "we need a national breastfeeding
policy, good evaluation of initiatives to promote and support breastfeeding
such as peer support...further regulation of the promotion of infant
formula, (and) careful study and action to address factors which lead
mothers to stop breastfeeding in the early weeks."
BMJ 2001;322:1335-1336.
Any Lactnetters from Scotland? I was surprised the rates were this low
there. ------------------------
Anna Swisher
LLL Leader
Austin, TX
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