Breastfeeding rates in different countries - LLL statistics

[yellowrose]

Has anyone seen this before ? Look atthis

Interesting how the countries with lots of political problems still have very high bf rates (Nepal and Rwanada).

I find this very encouraging !

there are lots of countries with and without political problems that have really low rates though. look at northern ireland .

I wonder why there are no 6 month stats for spain. I've been dying to find that out -suspect it's low due to a) the bottles of stuff they throw at you in hospital and b) the look of shock on people's faces when I tell them I'm still exclusively bfing ds (2 months)

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SP - that is bizarre with Spain. I would have thought they would have a better attitude/bf rate due to cultural reasons.

Excuse my ignorance if there is an obvious answer - but what would make certain countries like Niger, Sudan and Nigeria, have an initiation rate of 98-99% which drops to just 1% at 6 months? I thought that babies where breastfed for over 2 years in developing countries?? I seems such a dramatic drop?

Fascinating!
I wish Papua New Guinea (where I grew up) had been included.
In the 70s,they made bottles available only on prescription (as a desperate measure to counter bastards like Nestle with their 'free' samples and aggressive marketing.)

It made an enormous difference in neonatal death and serious illness rate.

pruni - do you think it might be that in some industrailsied countries the lack of support for bf means that though we start off well the rate of giving up a few weeks or months down the line is much higher than countries where bf has always been the norm and mothers bf so they teach their daughters, etc ?

I am guessing bf is the norm in say Nepal because I have seen loads of beautiful photos of babies being carried by their mums in slings and bf in public ; )

Hi moondog - gosh you have been round the world haven't you ? was your dad a diplomat or something ?

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gosh - that is a good point.

pruni - oh ok. I thought you meant the richer countries. Yes, may be someone knows the answer ?

Hi Ole' Yeller.
My parents were (and still are) in Higher Education.
Now in Arab world and interesting to note that although exposing a female face can be an issue,exposing a boob rarely is.

Turkish one intersting too.
Having lived in Turkey for last few years,know enough Turkish to realise that there are often big banners up across hospitals promoting b/feeding.

Very true moondog. I have travelled through various ME countries too. I have seen very covered up women bf in public. It is interesting. You would think it would be a taboo in public.

Must say like gosh, I am very surprised about the ratehr low rate of bf by 4-6 month, as I thought it was more a western thing that bf beyond the first 6 weeks was such an issue!
Yellowrose, I don't think bad political situation wouldn't have much bearing on bf rates in cultures where bf is the norm, nad indeed in those sort of countries (like Rwanda)it is possibly the only way they CAN feed their lil ones, as in ensuring they getting anything!
It's so so sad though that rates in a big part of Europe is so low I would love to see a system like in Norway, etc...enforced, where Formula is only available on perscription....but I suppose there would be major protesting going on then, about taking a womans choice, etc....sigh!

These stats are interesting, butthe 1 per cent at 6 months in those countries with a lot of breastfeeding is 'exclusive breastfeeding'.....the vast majority of babies in those countries will be getting mainly breastmilk at this age.

Wow 71% at initiation UK (pretty pathetic) and Scotland 50% - shows that's its an income and class issue in the UK, doesn't it?

Yeah, I didn't bf cos I'm thick and poor - not.

Another helpful and amusing contribution to a breastfeeding thread from Gobble - not.

I don't understand the table - how can there be results for UK then have results for Ireland and results for England,Wales and results for Scotland? They ARE the UK!

Very interesting information

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I imagine the UK thing dates back to when England and Wales were treated as the same for NHS purposes - Scotland and N Ireland have always had distinct administrations in terms of health service. Post-devolution we should now be getting separate figures for Wales.

I assume the low rates of exclusive breastfeeding at 4-6 months in some of the poorer countries are an indication that weaning onto solids starts earlier than 6 months in many of these countries. I assume a higher percentage than is shown are actually still breastfeeding well beyond 6 months old.

Would be interesting if they added a slot for still receiving some Breastmilk or breastfed to a year and above....