From Infant Feeding Statistics Scotland Financial Year 2023/24 An Accredited official statistics release for Scotland published on 12 November 2024, we can see that breastfeeding has almost doubled since 2007/2008 for the least deprived group but has increased significantly for all groups.

The rationale for this scheme is clear:

Breastfeeding provides the best nutrition for babies and young children and supports children’s health both in the short and longer term(1,2). There is strong evidence that breastfeeding reduces children’s risk of gut, chest, and ear infections and leads to a small but significant improvement in brain development and IQ(3,4). Growing evidence suggests that breastfeeding also protects against Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (‘cot death’), promotes healthy weight in childhood and into adulthood, and reduces the risk of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and childhood leukaemia(3,5).

Breastfeeding also benefits mothers’ health, with strong evidence that it reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, and some evidence that it may also promote maternal healthy weight and reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes(3,6,7). The benefits of breastfeeding for both baby and mother are seen across the world, including in high income countries such as Scotland(8-12). Increasing sustained, exclusive breastfeeding of babies has the potential to improve health and reduce health inequalities(20).¹

To enable this programme’s aims, the Scottish Government has funded sufficient home visitor posts to enable:

Between pre-birth and a child turning 5, families are entitled to 11 home visits, three of which include the health visitor doing a formal review of the family and child’s health.²

In England, only 5 visits are promised and 1 in 4 new parents do not see a health visitor at all.³

Sources:

1. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/infant-feeding-statistics/infant-feeding-statistics-financial-year-2023-to-2024/
2. https://www.gov.scot/policies/maternal-and-child-health/universal-health-visiting-service/
3. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-49099950#:~:text=About%20one%20in%20four%20new%20parents%20in%20England,-%20from%20pregnancy%20until%20the%20age%20of%20two.