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Protection, promotion and support of breast-feeding in Europe: current situation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

Adriano Cattaneo ,
Agneta Yngve ,
Berthold Koletzko  and
Luis Ruiz Guzman
Adriano Cattaneo
Affiliation:
Unit for Health Services Research and International Cooperation, Istituto per l'Infanzia, Trieste, Italy
Agneta Yngve*
Affiliation:
Unit for Preventive Nutrition, Department of Biosciences at Novum, Karolinska Institute, SE 146 57 Huddinge, Sweden
Berthold Koletzko
Affiliation:
Metabolic Diseases and Nutrition, Dr von Hauner Children's Hospital, University of Munich, Germany
Luis Ruiz Guzman
Affiliation:
Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, Barcelona, Spain
*
*Corresponding author: Email agneta.yngve@prevnut.ki.se
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Abstract

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Objective

To describe the current situation regarding protection, promotion and support of breast-feeding in Europe, as a first step towards the development of a blueprint for action.

Design and setting

A questionnaire was completed by 29 key informants and 128 other informants in the EU, including member states, accession and candidate countries.

Results

EU countries do not fully comply with the policies and recommendations of the Global Strategy on Infant and Young Child Feeding that they endorsed during the 55th World Health Assembly in 2002. Some countries do not even comply with the targets of the Innocenti Declaration (1990). Pre-service training on breast-feeding practice is inadequate and in-service training achieves only low to medium coverage. The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative is well developed only in three countries; in 19 countries, less than 15% of births occur in baby-friendly hospitals. The International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, endorsed in 1981 by all countries, is not fully applied and submitted to independent monitoring. The legislation for working mothers meets on average the International Labour Organization standards, but covers only women with full formal employment. Voluntary mother-to-mother support groups and trained peer counsellors are present in 27 and 13 countries, respectively. Breast-feeding rates span over a wide range; comparisons are difficult due to use of non-standard methods. The rate of exclusive breast-feeding at 6 months is low everywhere, even in countries with high initiation rates.

Conclusions

EU countries need to revise their policies and practices to meet the principles inscribed in the Global Strategy on Infant and Young Child Feeding in order to better protect, promote and support breast-feeding.

Keywords

Breast-feedingEurope
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 8 , Issue 1 , February 2005 , pp. 39 - 46
Copyright
Copyright © CABI Publishing 2005

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