Breastfeeding rates for young babies have reached a record high with over half of new mothers continuing to nurse at six to eight weeks, figures show.
Some 52.7 per cent were still breastfeeding their infant at this stage in 2023/24 – the highest since comparable records began in 2015/16.
This is up from 49.2 per cent in 2022/23 and 48.0 per cent in 2019, according to the government’s Office for Health Improvement and Disparities.
But England fares worse than other nations, with 71 per cent of children globally still being breastfed at one year old.
Health officials say breastfeeding provides the ‘best possible nutritional start in life for a baby’, protecting them from infection and offering important health benefits for the mother.
Stock photo of a young mother hugging and embracing her little child with love and care
Stock photo of a young mother breastfeeding a baby boy. Breastfed children perform better on intelligence tests and are less likely to be overweight or obese later in life
Breastfed children perform better on intelligence tests and are less likely to be overweight or obese later in life.
Women who breastfeed also have a reduced risk of cancer and type 2 diabetes.
The government’s advice is that infants should be exclusively breastfed, receiving only breastmilk for the first 6 months of life.
Following this, other drinks and foodstuffs can be introduced.
However, many women struggle to start or continue breastfeeding and others give up earlier than they would like because of a lack of appropriate facilities at work.
Of the 72 local authorities with valid data for 2023/24 and 2022/23, 46 significantly increased their breastfeeding rates, 26 were stable and none significantly decreased over this period.
However, there is wide variation across England, ranging from 27.6 per cent in Halton to 81.2 per cent in Hertfordshire.
Mothers living in affluent areas remain more likely to breastfeed than mothers living in more deprived areas.
But the gap between the most and least deprived areas has decreased from 15.8 per centre points to 10.7 percentage points over the past year.
Most deprivation groups have seen an increase year on year apart from the most affluent areas, which have seen a marginal decrease.
Clare Livingstone, professional advisor for policy and public health at the Royal College of Midwives, said: ‘It’s good to see an increase in the number of women choosing to breastfeed, although we know there is an underlying variation in these rates, with significant implications for health inequalities.
‘We recognise that breastfeeding can sometimes be challenging.
‘That’s why we have long called for proper investment into specialist and tailored support for all women, no matter where they are located, both during their pregnancy and the postnatal period.
‘Women returning to work also need to be better supported, with access to places to express and store breastmilk.’
Alison Morton, chief executive of the Institute of Health Visiting, said breastfeeding has ‘profoundly positive impacts on health’.
She added: ‘Sadly, the headline national statistic masks huge variation in breastfeeding rates between different parts of the country that cannot be justified.
‘We know that women are much more likely to succeed at breastfeeding when they have access to good breastfeeding support – unfortunately, this is not universally available and too many families are missing out.
‘Urgent action is needed to end the postcode lottery and rebuild postnatal healthcare for all women and their babies – we need more health visitors and midwives.’
Shereen Fisher, director of the Baby Friendly Initiative at the UK Committee for UNICEF, said: ‘Support for infant feeding should not be a postcode lottery; it should be guaranteed for all babies and their families.’
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘The benefits of breastfeeding for child and maternal health are significant and well-established.
‘It’s positive to see that in some areas more mothers are breastfeeding and the gap between families living in the most and least deprived areas has reduced.
‘It is important that all families are supported to make the right choice for them.
‘We are committed to giving every child the best start in life and that includes helping families to access support to feed their baby.’
