Breastfeeding is the best nutrition for infants, and exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first 6 months of life by the World Health Organisation. In the period 2012–13, NHS England reported that 73.9% of new mothers initiated breastfeeding However, by the 6 to 8 week check-up, this dropped dramatically to only 47.2% of babies being partially breastfed and as few as 32.3% being fed exclusively on the breast. It is well-recognised that breastfeeding can decrease the incidence of childhood disease and potentially decrease health inequalities. The question arises: What can GPs do to support women to successfully breastfeed?
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National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2006). Postnatal care: Routine postnatal care of women and their babies. Retrieved from www.nice.org.uk/CG037.
