Press release

Indicators on breastfeeding

The following statistics were released on 7 March 2013 by the Department of Health:

• From: Department of Health and Social Care
• Published: 12 March 2013

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

Quarter ending December 2012

The key points from the latest release are:

• The breastfeeding initiation rate was 73.6% in 2012/13 Quarter 3, which is just less than the annual percentage for 2011/12 (74.1%) and 2010/11 (73.7%); and slightly higher than 2009/10 (72.8%) and 2008/09 (71.7%).

• The prevalence of breastfeeding at 6-8 weeks in 2012/13 Quarter 3 was 47.2% of infants due a 6-8 week check, slightly less than the figure of 47.4% recorded in 2011/12 Q3. Comparisons are made with the same quarter in preceding years due to seasonality.

Full tables are available on the Department of Health website.

Published 12 March 2013