MOTHERS BORN outside of Ireland are more likely to start breastfeeding their babies compared with Irish-born mothers, according to research published yesterday.
The study, undertaken on behalf of the Health Service Executive by Trinity College Dublin, found 76 per cent of mothers born outside the State breastfed their babies born here compared to 50 per cent of Irish born mothers.
More than 2,500 women who gave birth at maternity hospitals across the country in April 2008 were involved in the research. Overall 55 per cent of the women breastfed immediately after birth.
But when the women were followed up three months later just 19 per cent of them were still breastfeeding. Most of the women who left hospital breastfeeding had stopped doing so within the first month.
And six months later, just 2.4 per cent of the women were still exclusively breastfeeding. The World Health Organisation recommends babies should be breastfed for six months.
Researcher Louise Gallagher said women born outside the State were more likely to start and to persist with breastfeeding than their Irish-born counterparts because they came from countries like Poland where it was the norm to breastfeed.
When women were asked why they stopped breastfeeding the most common reasons given were incompatibility with lifestyle, perceived insufficient milk supply or lack of facilities/discomfort with feeding in public. One in nine of the women who breastfed said they were either stopped from doing so or felt very uncomfortable doing so when out and about.
The findings were released at the launch of National Breastfeeding Week.
In other European countries the percentage of mothers breastfeeding as they leave hospital are much higher. Here the rate is 42 per cent compared to 78 per cent in the UK, 99 per cent in Norway, 98 per cent in Denmark, 91 per cent in Italy, 84 per cent in Spain and 69 per cent in France.
The survey also revealed widely differing breastfeeding rates throughout Ireland; the highest breastfeeding initiation rate was in Dublin southeast at 78 per cent and the lowest rates were in counties Waterford and Louth at just 38 per cent.
Almost one-third of the women surveyed said that infant feeding was not discussed with them during their pregnancy.
Catherine Murphy, assistant national director of population health with the HSE, said the benefits of breastfeeding are significant, not only for babies and their mothers but for society as a whole.