Rates of breastfeeding on the rise

Breastfeeding rates in Scotland are on the rise.

Half of all babies born in 2016-17 were being breastfed for around ten to 14 days, official NHS figures have revealed.

A total of 63 per cent of babies born in the same financial year had been breastfed at some point and 41 per cent were still being breastfed at six to eight weeks old.

The proportion of babies receiving any breastfeeding at this stage had increased slightly since 2001-02.

But the NHS report pointed out that breastfeeding rates in Scotland remained low compared with many other countries. Breastfeeding was much more common among older mothers and those in the leastdeprived parts of the country.

More than half (56 per cent) of mothers aged 40 or over were breastfeeding at the six- to eight-week review compared with 12 per cent of mothers aged under 20.