Better health and ageing for all Australians

Breastfeeding

The Australian Government is committed to protecting, promoting, supporting and monitoring breastfeeding throughout Australia.

The Australian Government is committed to protecting, promoting, supporting and monitoring breastfeeding throughout Australia.

Breastfeeding provides babies with the best start in life and is a key contributor to infant health. Australia’s dietary guidelines recommend exclusive breastfeeding of infants until six months of age, with the introduction of solid foods at around six months and continued breastfeeding until the age of 12 months – and beyond, if both mother and infant wish.

Evidence shows that breastfeeding provides significant benefits to infants. Breastfed babies are less likely to suffer from conditions such as gastroenteritis, respiratory illness and otitis media. Breastfeeding also benefits a mother’s own health by promoting faster recovery from childbirth and reducing the risks of breast and ovarian cancers in later life.

The Longitudinal Study of Australian Children, funded by the Australian Government, provides the most recent and extensive national data on breastfeeding in Australia. Amongst the infant cohort in 2004, from a 92 per cent breastfeeding initiation rate, there was a sharp decline in both full and any breastfeeding with each month post birth. By one week old only 80 per cent of infants were fully breastfed with a steady decline each month. Only 56 per cent of infants were fully breastfed at three months and 14 per cent at six months. The rate of any breastfeeding at six months was 56 per cent.

Australian National Breastfeeding Strategy

At their meeting on 13 November 2009, Australian Health Ministers endorsed the Australian National Breastfeeding Strategy 2010-2015. The aim of the Strategy is to contribute to improving the health, nutrition and wellbeing of infants and young children, and the health and wellbeing of mothers, by protecting, promoting, supporting and monitoring breastfeeding.

The development of the Australian National Breastfeeding Strategy 2010-2015 was a key element of the Australian Government’s response to the 2007 Parliamentary Inquiry into the Health Benefits of Breastfeeding. You can view the report 2007 Parliamentary Inquiry into the Health Benefits of Breastfeeding. You can view the Australian Government's response to the Inquiry The Australian Government's response 2007 Parliamentary Inquiry into the Health Benefits of Breastfeeding.

On 22 April 2010, Australian Health Ministers endorsed the 2010 implementation plan for the Breastfeeding Strategy. The communique may be viewed 2010 communique endorsing the implementation plan for the Breastfeeding Strategy from Australian Health Ministers.

Implementation of the Australian National Breastfeeding Strategy 2010-2015 will be progressed by governments both independently and nationally under the Australian Health Ministers’ Advisory Council, and with ongoing leadership from the Australian Government through the Department of Health and Ageing. The implementation plan will devise a way forward on the complex issues identified in the Strategy including milk banks, growth charts and the World Health Organization’s International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes (the WHO Code).

The WHO Code has been partially implemented in Australia through the Marketing of Infant Formulas Agreement (MAIF Agreement): the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, in relation to infant formula labelling, and Guidelines such as the Infant Feeding Guidelines for Health Workers. The MAIF is currently under review and a report of the responses to the WHO Code of other similar countries An International Comparison Study into the implementation of the WHO Code and other breastfeeding initiatives has also been completed.

The Australian National Breastfeeding Strategy 2010-2015 builds on existing Australian Government initiatives to promote, protect, support and monitor breastfeeding, including:
  • $2.5 million over five years to enable the Australian Breastfeeding Association to establish and maintain the National Breastfeeding Helpline. The 24-hour toll-free Helpline provides breastfeeding advice and peer-support to mothers and their families. The service is available on 1800 MUM 2 MUM (1800 686 2 686) and is provided free to callers from landlines anywhere in Australia,; $1.8 million over four years to support education and the provision of information resources, as well as health professionals training and support;
  • $1.15 million over four years for research and improved data collection including:
    • the development and implementation of an Australian Infant Feeding Survey to be undertaken during 2010. A random sample of mothers of children aged birth to two years from all jurisdictions will be invited to participate in the survey, which will collect data on the prevalence and duration of breastfeeding in Australia; and
    • a review of the Infant Feeding Guidelines for Health Workers, which include guidance for health workers on establishing and maintaining successful breastfeeding, managing breastfeeding problems and the safe use of infant formula, and the development of new Dietary Guidelines for Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women.
    • the research report, Exploratory Research Regarding Infant Feeding Attitudes and Behaviours, undertaken by Woolcott Research Pty Ltd under contract to the Department. This qualitative research project explored attitudes and experiences about breastfeeding, barriers and enablers, and factors that contribute to initiation and continuation of breastfeeding.

Related website links

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Nat breastfeeding helpline eval res rep.pdf