02 May 2019 02 May 2019

Have interventions been effective at increasing the rates of breastfeeding in the UK?

The rates of breastfeeding initiation and maintenance in the UK are some of the lowest in the world, despite extensive evidence in support of the notion that ‘breast is best’ (Earle, 2002) Exclusive breastfeeding, defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as ‘only breastmilk without any additional food or drink’ (Ingram et al, 2011), is recommended for the first 6 months of life followed by breastfeeding in combination with complementary solid foods up to 2 years of age (Ingram et al, 2011)