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RTÉ News
07-08-2025
- Health
- RTÉ News
How breastfeeding trends in Ireland can be improved
Opinion: Ireland performs poorly when it comes to breastfeeding rates and there is significant work to be done to translate policy into practice Ireland's first World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative report, which is published today, describes how well Ireland is doing in terms of breastfeeding policies, programmes and practices. This report involves scoring a set list of indicators and producing a final score out of 100. Ireland is the 99th country to produce one of these reports, allowing us to benchmark ourselves on the global stage. While a score of 56 out of 100 places us 10th of the 19 European countries and 57th of the 99 countries globally with a completed report, our middle-of-the-road score should not be perceived as cause to celebrate. The report indicates that we are doing well in some areas; we have a national breastfeeding action plan, and we have clear governance outlining how this plan is to be delivered. In addition, our legislation for maternity leave is quite strong, with a recent addition that sees breastfeeding mothers entitled to breastfeeding breaks of one hour per day up to their child's second birthday. From RTÉ Radio 1's Today with Claire Byrne in 2021, Aoibhinn Ni Shuilleabhain, member of the Baby Feeding Law Group Ireland and the mother rep on the National Maternity Hospital Infant Feeding Steering Committee, discusses breastfeeding rates in Ireland But when it comes to breastfeeding rates, Ireland performs poorly compared to other countries. We don't routinely track breastfeeding rates beyond three months postpartum, there have been only very modest increases in breastfeeding rates over the last number of years and the targets set out in the breastfeeding action plan are not being met. This suggests that there is significant work to be done in terms of translating policy into practice. This disconnect between policy and practice is evident from the findings of recent studies conducted among mothers. The government-funded National Maternity Experience Survey (2020) highlighted that areas for improvement identified by mothers included staffing levels, communication, and issues relating to feeding their babies. In this survey, 15% said they did not get adequate support and encouragement from healthcare professionals with feeding their baby. These findings are echoed by an independent study carried out by TU Dublin and Bainne Beatha, a parent-led breastfeeding advocacy group. Although many respondents described positive experiences, more described instances of poor breastfeeding support in the hospital and the community. From RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime, Dr Liz O'Sullivan discusses the breastfeeding support study A deep-dive into the experiences of mothers while in the maternity unit indicated that many women felt let down. Breastfeeding was promoted while they were pregnant. but formula was often the solution offered if they experienced any challenges after the baby was born. Such experiences, as well as the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative findings, suggest that simply having policies in place is going to be ineffective at increasing our breastfeeding rates if these policies are not optimally implemented. The most obvious challenge to policy implementation is staffing. Midwifery staffing, in particular, is repeatedly highlighted as a major problem by journalists, and by those in management positions. Not only does recruitment require attention, we also need to consider staff retention, which was highlighted as a significant issue by the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation in response to Budget 2024. It's no surprise that Ireland's breastfeeding rates are so low if there are not enough midwifery posts and it's a struggle to retain the midwives who are employed. Not only is this a problem for mothers and babies, but it is also no doubt a challenge for midwives, who likely don't have the time to deliver the breastfeeding-related care and support they've been trained to provide. From RTÉ Radio 1's Drivetime, discussion on breastfeeding support survey with Dr Liz O'Sullivan and Petrina O'Halloran, mother of two who had two contrasting experiences of breastfeeding support Within this environment, where hands-on support for breastfeeding is sub-optimal, families are bombarded with marketing for formula milk, at point-of-sale, on the radio and television, and through multiple online fora. We know, from landmark reports published by the World Health Organization in 2022 and The Lancet in 2023, that the marketing of formula is often aggressive, manipulative and exploitative. This affects our unconscious mind driving our behaviours towards formula feeding and undermines parents' confidence in breastfeeding. We need stricter legislation in Ireland, that is monitored and enforced, to ensure that families only receive information about infant feeding that is evidence based and free from commercial influence. Full legislative inclusion of the International Code of Marketing of Breast milk Substitutes would achieve this end. The Online Safety and Media Regulation Act, which was signed into law in 2022, begins to move towards enactment of this. Under this act, Coimisiún na Meán, will oversee the regulation and restriction of a broad range of marketing deemed harmful to children, including the advertisement of infant formula and follow-on formula on diverse media platforms and online. With these new regulations, Ireland can meaningfully protect our families, healthcare professionals, and government from this aggressive and pervasive marketing, thus protecting breastfeeding. Ireland has more to do to ensure that mothers and families receive the consistent, timely, evidence-based breastfeeding support and care they want and deserve. An obvious place to start is developing a new breastfeeding action plan as the current plan expires next month and there is no sign of a new plan to replace it. To achieve our envisioned increase in breastfeeding rates, we need to monitor current prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding to six months of age and breastfeeding duration to two years and beyond, (in line with WHO guidance), set realistic targets, and fund measures to achieve those targets. However, developing plans and setting targets, and introducing education and training initiatives will all be pointless endeavours with continuing healthcare staff shortages. The Government needs to step up and prioritise infant and young child health through investing in the protection, promotion, and support of breastfeeding. The future of our small, yet highly influential country, depends on the health and wellbeing of its youngest and most vulnerable citizens. Optimised breastfeeding, the most impactful and equitable intervention, can ensure the health and wellbeing of the nation.
Irish Examiner
19-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Women putting off having children until they feel they can afford it
A quarter of women surveyed will delay having children until they've reached certain financial or career goals. This jumps to 65% of women aged between 18-24. An Irish Examiner Ipsos B+A survey also found that just under half of mums would like to have more children. Younger mums and those from less affluent backgrounds were most keen to extend their families. Some 70% of women aged over 35 were not keen to have more children. The survey of 1,000 women also found differences in experience for pregnant women between pre-natal services and care after they have their baby. It found attitudes to pregnancy services were broadly positive, with good information and accessibility. However, feedback on postnatal care was more mixed, with one in three saying they had inadequate access to breastfeeding help, for example. Pre-natal care includes GP visits, hospital or community clinic care, and other supports. Some 65% of women said access to these supports was good or very good in their local area, with women from across Ireland surveyed. Similarly, 59% said the information they received was good or very good. However, some women raised concerns about limited options in terms of giving birth, referring to homebirths or birth doulas. Some 36% of women questioned said access to those alternatives, including delivery without pain medication was poor or very poor. In answering questions about birth, 68% of women who have given birth rated support and guidance given throughout labour as very good or good. Communication, however, was raised as a concern, with 10% of women rating communication at this time as poor or very poor, and only 20% saying this was very good. Gaps were reported in care after pregnancy, despite changes in how these services were offered now. While 60% of women said care in hospitals just after birth was good or very good, this dropped to 33% when asked about access to breastfeeding or lactation consultant services after returning home. Some 39% of women said the quality of follow-up care at home from any healthcare worker was fair, poor or very poor. Just under half (45%) of women aged 25-34 reported concerns about postpartum care, compared to 55% of this age group having positive experiences. Poor or very poor care after birth was more likely to be reported by women in their 50s and 60s now looking back, the survey showed. These findings reflect those in the National Maternity Experience Survey in 2020, which identified gaps nationally in postnatal care. The HSE set up a pilot scheme of post-natal hubs, including in Listowel, Co Kerry, in response to that survey. The Irish Examiner's Feelgood supplement celebrates 25 years this year. The survey was carried out by Ipsos B+A for Feelgood, with a nationally representative sample of 1,078 women aged over 16. Read More Financial constraints and housing putting people off having children, survey finds
