early years lead at Public Health England, explains.
There is overwhelming evidence that breastfeeding provides the best nutrition for babies and brings health benefits for both mother and child - and it is free, so can help every child get a healthy start in life. Yet occasionally there are conflicting stories on breastfeeding in the media, so we felt it important to set the record straight.
Public Health England (PHE) recommends breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of a baby's life and after that giving breast milk alongside solid food. Despite this, breastfeeding rates at birth in the UK are among the lowest in Europe at about 74 per cent, and this drops to 47 per cent at six to eight weeks.
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