Health group says breastfed babies have the best start
TECHNOLOGY is helping mothers in West Lancashire to breastfeed after research showed fewer than half of women in England suckle their babies by eight weeks.
A survey commissioned by Public Health England (PHE) of 1,000 mothers of young children revealed that in hindsight they wished they had been better prepared for breastfeeding.
Before the birth of their first child, the biggest priorities for mums in the North West were buying baby equipment, preparing for labour and purchasing baby clothes.
However, post birth, 21% wished they had read about and were more prepared for breastfeeding and 24% of those who had given breast milk to their first child wished they had known that asking for help can make a real difference.
The research showed almost three-quarters of women start breastfeeding when their child is born, however by six to eight weeks this drops to just 44%, making rates in England among the lowest in the world.
PHE’s programme Start 4Life has created the 24/7 Breastfeeding Friend to encourage parents to adopt healthy behaviours.
It is available free on a range of platforms, including Facebook Messenger, and now for the first time it will also be available as a skill for Amazon Alexa’s voice service.
Mothers in West Lancashire can ask Alexa a variety of questions about breastfeeding and the answers will be provided tailored to the age of the baby.
This means that they can get helpful advice even when their hands are full.
PHE chief nurse Viv Bennett said: “Breastfeeding, whilst natural, is something that mothers and babies learn together, and whilst learning, women may have questions and setbacks.
“PHE is working with health professionals to make sure women are not embarrassed and receive timely help.
“Health professionals do an excellent job of caring for new mothers, but they cannot be available 24/7, which is where our Breastfeeding Friend from Start4Life is designed to help.
“This tool, together with the range of support materials from Start4Life, can provide breastfeeding advice at any time of night or day and support mothers and their partners and families through challenges they may face.”
PHE recommends exclusive breastfeeding for around the first six months.
Breastfeeding boosts a baby’s ability to fight illness and infection and youngsters who are not are more likely to get diarrhoea and chest infections.
Breastfeeding also lowers a mother’s risk of breast cancer and may reduce the risk of ovarian cancer.
The digital offerings will help guide new parents in the North West through their first weeks of breastfeeding and beyond, providing help at any time of the day or night, and aim to complement support and advice from health care professionals and breastfeeding specialists.
The information provided by all the Start4Life services is NHS-approved and both services are independent of Amazon and Facebook.
PHE North West health and wellbeing manager Steve Morton said: “The Breastfeeding Friend from Start4Life is a great tool for mums in the North West who are looking for help and advice about breastfeeding.
“Support can make a real difference to successful breastfeeding so the suite of digital support services from Start4Life can be really beneficial for those who might require a bit more help.”