The Infant Feeding Survey 2010: Early Results publication shows the percentage of newborn babies initially breastfed by their mother and compares breastfeeding rates in the different countries of the UK, across age ranges and socio-economic groups of the mother and according to the birth order of the child.

The survey, which will report in full in summer 2012, also looks at smoking rates before and during pregnancy across the UK and makes comparisons by country, age range and socio-economic group.

The report shows that breastfeeding rates have risen since 2005 in England, Wales and Scotland.

Between 2005 and 2010, the percentage of newborn babies initially breastfed rose from:

• 78 per cent to 83 per cent in England.
• 67 per cent to 71 per cent in Wales, and
• 70 per cent to 74 per cent in Scotland

For Northern Ireland, there was no statistically significant change between 2005 and 2010.

On smoking

Across the UK, the percentage of mothers smoking before or during pregnancy fell from 33 per cent to 26 per cent between 2005 and 2010.

Lower levels of smoking were seen in all countries in 2010 compared to 2005. The largest decreases in smoking levels before or during pregnancy were in Scotland, where smoking levels fell from 35 per cent to 27 per cent, and in England, where they fell from 32 per cent to 26 per cent.

Smoking levels before or during pregnancy were highest in Wales (33 per cent) and lowest in England (26 per cent).

Mothers who smoked were more likely to give up before or during pregnancy in 2010 than in 2005 (54 per cent and 48 per cent respectively). A smaller percentage of all mothers smoked throughout pregnancy in 2010 (12 per cent compared to 17 per cent in 2005).

Chief executive of The NHS Information Centre Tim Straughan said: “It is pleasing to see that a greater percentage of babies than in the previous survey are being breastfed initially by their mothers.

“Similarly the percentage of women who are choosing to smoke either before or during pregnancy has fallen and a smaller percentage smoked throughout pregnancy.”

The report is at: www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/infantfeeding10

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. The NHS Information Centre is England's authoritative, independent source of health and social care information. It works with a wide range of health and social care providers nationwide to provide the facts and figures that help the NHS and social services run effectively. Its role is to collect data, analyse it and convert it into useful information which helps providers improve their services and supports academics, researchers, regulators and policymakers in their work. The NHS Information Centre also produces a wide range of statistical publications each year across a number of areas including: primary care, health and lifestyles, screening, hospital care, population and geography, social care and workforce and pay statistics.
2. The 2010 Infant Feeding Survey is the eighth national survey of infant feeding practices to be carried out. Surveys have been conducted every five years since 1975. It has covered the UK as a whole since 1990. The latest survey is being carried out by IFF Research, having been commissioned by the NHS Information Centre on behalf of all four UK health departments. The main aim of the survey is to provide national estimates on the incidence, prevalence and duration of breastfeeding and other feeding practices adopted by mothers from the birth of their baby up to around nine months. The survey also collects information on the smoking and drinking behaviour of mothers before, during and after pregnancy. As well as national estimates the survey is also designed to provide individual estimates for the four countries of the UK.
3. Incidence of breastfeeding: This refers to the percentage of babies who were breastfed initially. This definition includes all babies who were put to the breast at all, even if it was only once. This definition of incidence of breastfeeding has remained unchanged since the first survey in 1975.
4. Prevalence of breastfeeding: is defined as the percentage of all babies who are being breastfed at specific ages, even if they are also receiving infant formula or solid food (prevalence information will be available in the main publication which will be published in 2012 once the subsequent phases of data collection and analysis are complete).
5. Smoking during pregnancy: Three categories of smoking behaviour are used in the tables as follows: a. Smoking before or during pregnancy is the percentage of women who smoked at all in the two years before they completed the survey. This roughly covers the period of their pregnancy plus the year before conception. b. Smoking throughout pregnancy is the percentage of women who smoked in the two years before they completed the survey, and who were smoking at the time of their baby's birth. It included women who may have given up smoking before or during their pregnancy, but who had restarted before the birth. c. Gave up smoking before or during pregnancy is the percentage of women who smoked in the two years before they completed the survey and who gave up during this period and had not restarted before the birth of the baby.
6. 6. For media enquires please call 0845 257 6990 or email mediaenquiries@ic.nhs.uk