>Hi all
>I am hunting for a breastfeeding position statement or policy statement.  I
>am writing a paper examining the language used in such statements and I am
>yet to find one from te UK.  I have looked at the Royal College of
>Paediatricians and the DOH.  Because I am not familiar with how the UK
>system works I am not sure where else to look.  (I have found that the
>Scottish govt has just released a discussion paper that looks interesting.)
>
>Does anyone know if there is a Breastfeeding Policy statement issued either
>by a govt department or a Professional College or association in the UK?
>Thanks
>
>Nina Berry BA/Bed(Hons) Dip Arts(Phil)
>Breastfeeding Counsellor
>PhD Candidate - "Ethical Issues in the marketing of 'Toddler Milks'"


Nina,  public health in the UK is part of the UK-wide remit *and* the 
devolved remit of the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Assembly, and 
the Northern Ireland Assmembly. England does not have a separate 
parliament/assembly (this is a live political issue, by the way, and 
some people feel England should have something separate).  All those 
three  devolved  governments have some sort of statement/policy on 
breastfeeding, and you will should find them easily enough if you 
search inside the websites of their health departments. As you say, 
Scotland has just released a consultation document for an Infant 
Feeding Srategy.

As for the UK, you will find the UK-wide position statement at the 
Dept of Health website:

http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/HealthAndSocialCareTopics/MaternalAndInfantNutrition/fs/en

(Copy and paste if this link breaks)

There is a ton of stuff if you search around in that Maternal and 
Infant nutrition part  of the site. However, England has no policy or 
strategy for breastfeeding. There is currently a web-based petition 
which will go to PM Tony Blair asking for this.  As it happens, TB 
has shown a  bit of an interest in bf - he has awarded Baby Friendly 
certifcates to at least one community setting, and his wife Cherie is 
known to have breastfed and to have made supportive statements. 
Breastfeeding is part of official public health targets in the 
UK....but without a detailed strategy it's not going anywhere fast. 
The UK used to have govt-sponsored materials for National 
Breastfeeding Awareness Week but this year there's nothing. The post 
of Dept of Health Infant Feeding co-ordinator no longer exists.

As far as I know the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health 
(not the name you have looked at) has no detailed position statement. 
Their current journal (Archives of Disease in Childhood) has two 
'opposing' articles, one (co-written by a colleague/friend of mine, 
Dr Tony Waterston) argues that paediatricians need to keep a 
sceptical distance from formula manufacturers. The other article 
argues that close working together is a good thing.  This will, I 
think, be very pertinent to your work.

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc, tutor, UK

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