Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 9 Oct 2003

Vol. 572 No. 2

Written Answers. - Maternity Services.

Eamon Ryan

Ceist:

63 Mr. Eamon Ryan asked the Minister for Health and Children if the number of women breastfeeding has increased in the past year; the steps he intends to take to increase the number of women breastfeeding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22581/03]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The report on perinatal statistics for 1999, published in December 2002, which is the most recent national data, stated that 36.16% of women exclusively breast-fed their babies on discharge from hospital, an increase from the previous published data of 1993. While this increase is encouraging it is clear that there is a need to heighten the acceptability of breastfeeding as a normal and natural process and create a greater public awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding for babies, mothers and society in general.

My Department is committed to the promotion of breastfeeding, as an integral part of a long-term plan to ultimately improve the health of the nation. A strategic objective of the health strategy, Quality and Fairness is: to generate positive attitudes to breastfeeding by promoting the unique nutritional advantages and the long lasting health protective benefits of breastfeeding for infants and young children.

To this end, the health promotion unit of my Department has recently embarked on a national breast-feeding campaign, which I launched on 30 September, to coincide with national breast-feeding week. The theme of the campaign is "There are reasons why breast is best". The campaign consists of a series of press advertisements, a breast-feeding awareness TV advertisement and various events around the country which aim to inform people of the numerous health benefits of breastfeeding. The Health Promotion Unit also produced a selection of print materials which will continue to be utilised to highlight the benefits of breastfeeding.

In March 2002, I established the National Committee on Breastfeeding, a group representative of relevant health professions, the health boards, health promotion professionals and voluntary organisations. Chaired by Professor Miriam Wiley, ESRI, the committee published its interim report in May of this year. The report was the culmination of the committee's review of the 1994 national breast-feeding policy. The work of the national committee has now refocussed to develop a way forward for the promotion, protection and support of breastfeeding in this country. Its next report is due in late 2004.