By Ruth Davidson
The Investigation
The Scottish government says it is doing "the maximum" to increase breastfeeding rates in Scotland.
Health boards are being given £19m over the next three years to promote maternal and infant nutrition - and breastfeeding is one of the key areas on which the money will be spent.
From next month, all prospective mothers will be given a new DVD - From Bump to Breastfeeding - to encourage them to breastfeed rather than use infant formula.
Breastfeeding is proven to lower the risks of infections, gastroenteritis and eczema in babies and to reduce breast and cervical cancers in mothers.
BBC Scotland's Investigation programme is asking whether the government's approach is the right one to boost the figures.
Currently, the percentage of women exclusively breastfeeding their babies at 6-8 weeks in Scotland is 26.6% - the lowest number for the past seven years.
By 2011, the authorities want that number to rise to 33.3%.
It is not the first target to have been set.
In 1994, the government said it wanted 50% of mothers to be exclusively breastfeeding their children at 6-8 weeks by 2005. It didn't happen.
Public health minister Shona Robison says it will take a big effort to meet current goals.
"It's ambitious when you look at some of the very low levels historically of breast feeding in some of our more deprived communities. I think it's a realistic target and an achievable one."
Countries which have enjoyed success in boosting breastfeeding figures have taken a multi-pronged approach.
In Norway 99% of new mums are breastfeeding when they leave hospital, 3-4 months later 90% are still breastfeeding.
The World Health Organisation says Norway supplemented public information with new measures to allow women a year's maternity leave on 80% pay, extensive support to help them succeed at breastfeeding, a total ban on infant formula advertising and allowances for mums once they returned to work to take protected breaks in order to breastfeed.
A number of women who try to breastfeed here, but struggle and move onto formula, cite a lack of professional support to give them the help they need to make it work.
The Royal College of Midwives told the Investigation there were plenty of qualified staff in Scotland that could help, but no posts for them to fill; that midwives were leaving university without jobs to go to.
Shona Robison said the government was considering a 'redesign' of services but that she was confident the figures would improve.
"We are doing the maximum that we can as a Scottish Government to change the culture and support women - particularly in our more deprived communities.
"It is going to take time to change the culture but I think we're on the right road."
You can hear The Investigation on breastfeeding on Radio Scotland at 0905 BST on Monday 15 September or listen again on the iPlayer.
^ Back to top | BBC Sport Home | BBC Homepage | Contact us | Help | ©
~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~26~RS~)