More than half of breastfeeding mothers stop by the time they leave hospital study reveals

A study has found that while more than three-quarters of new mothers will try breastfeeding their baby at least once, by the time of discharge from hospital more than half will have stopped.

The Cork BASELINE Birth Cohort study has charted the progress of approximately 1,600 infants born at Cork University Maternity Hospital, from before they were born.

Some preliminary data will be published today by researchers and among the findings is evidence that breastfeeding rates in Ireland remain stubbornly low.