Agenda item

The Mayor and Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health submitted a report for Executive’s consideration.

The report presented an overview of the importance of Breast Feeding (along with current data) and the benefits to both mother and child and the wider community.  The report set out how the adoption of the Breast-Feeding Boroughs Declaration across Middlesbrough and Redcar & Cleveland would increase local breastfeeding rates and reduce health inequalities. 

The report gave an overview of what it meant for South Tees to become a Breast-Feeding area and the benefits for Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland. The report also set out the ten commitments that would be delivered through the existing and well-established Infant Feeding Steering Group across South Tees. These would hopefully increase breastfeeding rates, reduce bottle (formula) fed culture and normalise breastfeeding across the civic, community and service levels to support the best start in life for children across South Tees.

It was recommended Executive approve the adoption of the Breast-Feeding Boroughs Declaration as a Local Authority and agree to promote themselves as a Breast-Feeding Borough. It would do this by implementing the ten declarations to increase breast feeding rates across South Tees, whilst also preventing the worsening of health inequalities.

Across South Tees it was recognised the difference that early experiences and responsive parenting could make to an infant and young person’s health, well-being, and future life chances. Those who breastfed were likely to have better maternal health and wellbeing and bond better with their baby. As breastfed children got older, they also had better attachment with their parents and built better relationships with others.

Many thought the benefits of breastfeeding were purely nutritional; not realising that breastfeeding also protected the health of mothers and their children. Reductions in the risk of infants developing illnesses and protection against childhood diseases later in life were well researched.  Evidence also suggested that breastfed babies benefited from improved brain development.

OPTIONS

Do Nothing: This would have resulted in possible decreases of breast feeding rates across South Tees and worsening of health inequalities.

ORDERED That Executive:

1.    Approve the adoption of the Breast-Feeding Boroughs Declaration as a Local Authority.

2.    Agree to promote themselves as a Breast-Feeding Borough by implementing the ten declarations listed at appendix C in the report.

REASONS

The programme supported the strategic direction of the Children’s Trust in Middlesbrough and the Children and Young People’s Partnership in Redcar and Cleveland.

The budget aligned to this programme was £10,000 from within existing budgets for Middlesbrough and R&C Public Health. This would support the development of the Breast-Feeding Boroughs branding; professional images of local people; the continuation of the Breast-Feeding Welcome Scheme licence (venues registering as breast feeding friendly) and permanent signage and UNICEF Baby Friendly Accreditation.

The benefits to breast feeding for the health of the mother and child showed resounding evidence that breast feeding saved lives, improved health, and cut costs in every country worldwide (UNICEF). Breast feeding protected children from a range of illnesses which included infection, diabetes, asthma, heart disease, obesity as well as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (cot death). The benefits to maternal health included protecting mothers from breast and ovarian cancers and heart disease. 

Breast feeding contributed to significant savings to the NHS. A NICE costing report estimated that Baby Friendly accreditation would start to save a facility money after three years, owing to a reduction in the incidence of certain childhood illnesses. Moderate increases in breast feeding translated into cost savings for the NHS of many millions of pounds, and tens of thousands of fewer hospital admissions and GP consultations (UNICEF Baby Friendly report).

Breast Feeding Boroughs would support to normalise breast feeding and increase the rates of breast feeding at initiation and 6-8 weeks. A similar campaign which was successfully delivered in Blackburn with Darwen, resulted in the continuation of breast feeding for months after birth.