Vol. 488 No. 2
64 Mr. McDowell asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will provide details of the breastfeeding rates in each health board area; the national target which his Department has set; the steps, if any, he is taking to ensure that the target is reached; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5793/98]
My Department is committed to increasing the incidence of breastfeeding in Ireland and has set in place a number of initiatives to achieve this goal. Following the launch of A National Breastfeeding Policy for Ireland a departmental working group was established. This group has been liaising with the health boards with a view to encourging the development of appropriate structures to promote breastfeeding.
The support of health professionals is recognised as critical to the success of the national breastfeeding policy as they are the first point of contact with the mother during pregnancy and after childbirth and the training of professionals was identified in the breastfeeding policy as a priority area for attention. The health promotion unit of my Department provided funding towards the production of a training pack for health professionals which was developed in conjunction with the Centre for Health Promotion Studies, University College, Galway and An Bord Altranais. The pack, which was launched in January this year, consists of a video and information booklet designed to equip health professionals with the necessary skills and knowledge to assist mothers with breastfeeding.
The health promotion unit has also assisted the North-Western Board in the production of the Breast Fed is Best Fed booklet and poster which contains clear and simple advice on the benefits of breastfeeding. These booklets have been made available nationally. In addition, my Department supports the work of many of the voluntary organisations involved in this area which enables them to continue their valuable work in encouraging breastfeeding.
With regard to a national target for breastfeeding, an overall breastfeeding initiation rate of 50 per cent by the year 2000 was set in A National Breastfeeding Policy for Ireland. The latest available national statistics on breastfeeding are contained in the recently released perinatal statistics report, 1993 which indicates that the percentage of mothers breastfeeding was about 34 per cent in that year.
The breakdown by health board for 1993 is as follows:
|
Eastern Health Board |
38.25 |
|
Midland Health Board |
30.54 |
|
Mid-Western Health Board |
27.73 |
|
North-Eastern Health Board |
29.48 |
|
North-Western Health Board |
30.30 |
|
South-Eastern Health Board |
30.88 |
|
Southern Health Board |
33.39 |
|
Western Health Board |
35.09 |
