Here's a nice start for the weekend : )

I have just received the official Department of Health  press
release, plus supporting stats, showing the first figures from the
govt's national infant feeding 2000 survey (held every 5 years).

For the first time in 20 years, the figures show a significant rise,
quite apart from any demographic changes in the sample.

Here's the edited release - I've also included the bits about smoking
in pg;  these figures show a drop too : ) Particularly welcome is the
rise in lower income mothers' bf....

Figures for the duration of bf have yet to be released, but this has
got to be good news .

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc Newcastle upon Tyne UK

BREASTFEEDING INCREASING, SMOKING DURING PREGNANCY DOWN, SAYS NEW SURVEY

     :: PR Newswire, London, August 31. This press release is transmitted on
behalf of Department of Health.

     Figures published today show that there have been significant increases
since 1995 in the number of mothers in the UK breastfeeding their babies, with
overall rates rising from 66 per cent to 69 per cent in 2000. In England the
increase is particularly marked in low income households, where rates
increased from 50 per cent to 62 per cent of women between 1995 and 2000.

     The figures also show that the number of women smoking during pregnancy
has fallen from 23 per cent to 18 per cent in the last five years. The
Government's target, set in its 'Smoking Kills' White Paper, is to reduce the
rate to 15 per cent by 2010.

     The Infant Feeding Initiative, to promote breastfeeding, was instigated as
part of the Government's commitment to tackle health inequalities. The
initiative aims to increase breastfeeding in those groups of the population
where rates are lowest, such as those in low income areas. The NHS Plan also
commits the Government to increase support for breastfeeding. Midwives, health
visitors, GPs and other health professionals have been providing more
information about breastfeeding to these groups and publicity campaigns have
promoted awareness.

     Studies show that breastfeeding provides health benefits to both mother
and child. Compared to bottle-fed babies, those who are breast-fed are five
times less likely to be admitted to hospital with gastro-enteritis and only
half as likely to be admitted to hospital with a respiratory infection and 20
per cent less likely to become obese in childhood. The most marked
inequalities in breastfeeding are strongly associated with deprivation.

     Smoking during pregnancy also carries significant risks to the baby. Women
who smoke during pregnancy are three times more likely to have a low
birthweight baby and stillbirths or early neonatal deaths are approximately 30
per cent higher among women who smoke. The Government has invested GBP£50
million in smoking cessation services in the NHS to help smokers to give up
and has set up the NHS Pregnancy Smoking Helpline (0800 169 9 169) to provide
advice and support to pregnant women.

     Health Minister, Jacqui Smith, said:

     ``This is good news for child health. We know that increasing the number
of women who breastfeed and reducing the number of women who smoke during
pregnancy both produce substantial improvements in child health and reduce the
risk of illness. The strategy has been targeted at low income households in an
attempt to reduce the health inequalities that exist between richer and poorer
families and it is very encouraging to see that breastfeeding is up and
smoking is down among women in these groups.

     ``The Government is committed to improving child health and is drawing up
a National Service Framework to improve maternity services and children's
health. We know that breastfeeding helps to improve the health of infants and
giving up smoking reduces the risk of stillbirth and low birthweight babies.
This survey suggests that the national programmes on breastfeeding and smoking
are beginning to make a difference and the NHS will continue to provide advice
and support to pregnant women to improve infant health.''

     Obi Amadi of the Community Practitioners' and Health Visitors' Association
(CPHVA) said:

     ``We are delighted to see the significant increase in breastfeeding rates
in our key target groups. The adoption of our message 'breast is best', by
mothers from those sections of the population who have been difficult to
reach, indicates the success of the Infant Feeding Initiative and the many
health professionals who have translated it into practical advice and
action.''

     The Infant Feeding Initiative was launched in 1999 during National
Breastfeeding Awareness week. Around GBP£2 million pounds has been spent in
the first two years of the project. Two National Infant Feeding Advisers were
appointed - a health visitor and a midwife to lead the promotion of breast
feeding with particular focus on increasing breastfeeding among lower income
families.

     Notes to Editors:

     In 1995 only 50% of women in social class 5 initially breastfed their
babies compared to 90% in social class 1, by 2000 this inequality had reduced
to 62% compared to 92% respectively.

     The infant feeding initiative has funded 55 projects in two years. A total
of GBP£773,000 has been spent supporting these projects from the Public Health
Development Fund to develop innovative breastfeeding practice projects within
NHS Trusts. The projects were aimed specifically at populations who are least
likely to breastfeed. The range of initiatives includes: training of peer
supporters, setting up /evaluating breastfeeding groups, providing
new/additional professional support/education to the individual mother and
their families, raising public awareness, training professional staff.

     The projects were able to provide insights into the reality of
implementing new ways of delivering services. Many of the projects secured
main stream funding after the first year from Primary Care Trusts, Hospital
Trusts and Sure Start Areas. This was because they had demonstrated an
effective and new way of working and provided a way of implementing the NHS
plan in supporting breastfeeding.

     :: Examples of Regional Best practice Projects

     Trent Region

     Doncaster is a working class town with breastfeeding rates well below the
national average. In many deprived areas of Doncaster, bottle feeding has been
the norm for three generations. Volunteers were recruited from an area of need
in Doncaster and underwent training in breastfeeding and peer support. The
volunteers reported they experienced increased confidence and personal growth
from taking part in the project.

     Health Professionals reported that there are more younger women who are
considering breastfeeding where they would have ruled it out 5 years ago'' and
''older women on their 3or 4 pregnancies are breastfeeding successfully for the
first time''.

     :: Northern and Yorkshire

     West Hull Primary Care Trust

     Health Visitors looked at new ways of increasing breastfeeding rates in a
severely deprived area of Hull where audit had indicated a 16.2% breastfeeding
rate in North Hull compared to a 47% average for Hull and 64% for England and
Wales.

     Initially a pilot involved one health visitor re-prioritising her workload
to include routine ante-natal home visiting. Breastfeeding for that caseload
more than doubled.

     Secondly, breastfeeding support groups were set up with local midwives.
This was aimed at both ante-natal and post-natal mothers to share experience
and gain support. The support group is now part of the Sure Start initiative.

     A toddler attending with her pregnant mother neither of whom had seen
breastfeeding saw a baby being breastfed for the first time. The toddler spoke
to the breastfeeding mother's daughter and said ``that is the way our baby is
going to be fed too.''

     Exposure to breastfeeding is important in helping to decide whether to
breastfeed and gives the confidence needed to achieve it. The earlier this
starts the better.

     :: South West Region

     University of Plymouth

     The aim of this project was to get an insight into the factors which may
affect duration of breastfeeding by first time mothers from low-income groups.

     Ten case studies underwent semi structured interviews ante-natally and
post natally. Ante-natal expectations of breastfeeding were largely negative,
but beliefs about the quality of breastmilk were positive. Postnatally, there
was a different picture as there were ambivalent feelings about the quality of
breastmilk but experiences of breastfeeding were more positive than
antenatally.

     Significant findings, such as conflicting advice from health professionals
was highlighted as a problem area and these have now been fed back to staff,
so that appropriate interventions can be designed and implemented. Mainstream
funding has been obtained to undertake the second phase of this study.

     UNS
     Contact: For further details contact Department of Health press office on
0207 210 57075233

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