Breast-feeding message 'unheeded'

Breast-feeding benefits child and mother

Campaigns to promote breast-feeding are failing to reach disadvantaged women, say NHS experts.

The NHS Centre for Reviews and Dissemination says that the government should radically alter its approach so that the health benefits can be felt by every social group.

The number of women breast-feeding in the UK remains low at approximately 40% to 60%, with the lowest uptake rates in the lowest social classes.

This is despite strong evidence that breast-feeding protects the baby against various infections, and allergies such as asthma and eczema.

The mother may also benefit - there is some evidence that breast-feeders may enjoy some protection from breast, uterine and ovarian cancer.

The government committed itself to policies to boost breast-feeding rates in its White Paper, "Our Healthier Nation", published in 1998.

The report recommends that women in more disadvantaged social groups be directly targeted.

It also points out that most breast-feeding training courses for health professionals have never been properly evaluated.

In addition, pamphlets and posters also appear to have little impact.

The authors call for doctors and nurses to hold small discussion groups to encourage women to breast-feed after birth.

They also say there is evidence that campaigns aimed at senior school girls can be effective.

In addition, campaigns could focus on changing attitudes towards public intolerance of breast-feeding, the authors say.

Professor Mary Renfrew, from Leeds University, said cultural attitudes were to blame for the low rates of breastfeeding.

"This country isn't very breast feeding friendly.

"We have had generations of people who have been predominantly bottle-fed so there isn't tremendous cultural support for breast feeding.

"Anyone who has ever tried to breastfeed in public can tell you how hard it is to do it, given the attitudes that there are."