Infant Feeding 2000

Book excerpt: This is the sixth national survey of infant feeding practices. The aim is to provide national figures on the incidence, prevalence and duration of breastfeeding and other practices adopted by mothers in the early weeks and up to nine months after birth. The chapters looked at: incidence and duration of breastfeeding; the use of milk other than breast milk; antenatal care, smoking and drinking; choice of feeding method; birth and post natal care; feeding after the early weeks; additional drinks and supplementary vitamins; solid foods. The headline figure is that the initial breastfeeding rates were 71% in England and Wales, 63% in Scotland and 54% in Northern Ireland, which represent a significant increase from the survey in 1995