icWales - Pre-birth decisions `affect feeding'

Mar 22 2003

Catrin.Williams@Wme.Co.Uk Catrin Williams, The Western Mail - The National Newspaper Of Wales


A WOMAN who makes up her mind to breastfeed before her baby is born will almost always succeed.

Latest research shows

96.6% of women who planned to breastfeed for at least four months managed to start breastfeeding. But of women who intended to bottle-feed before birth, only 3.4% started to breastfeed.

"There is mounting evidence of the health benefits of breast-feeding, but many women never attempt it," said Dr Lisa Amir, from the Australian Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, yesterday.

"A good deal of research has pinpointed factors which may be associated with this, for example, older mothers, non-smokers and those with higher levels of education and income are more likely to breast-feed.