Nearly 50% of mothers choose to breastfeed

ALMOST half of mothers are choosing to breastfeed their babies as a result of a State-backed initiative that encourages maternity hospitals to move away from Ireland’s bottle-fed culture.

When the global Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative started in Ireland in 1998 less than 40% of Irish mothers breastfed their babies.

Even though Ireland's breastfeeding rates are still the lowest rate in the EU, they are increasing at a steady rate.