A new study has found exceptionally low rates of breastfeeding among Irish mothers.
The ESRI says just over half of mothers begin to breastfeed in Ireland – compared to 81% in the UK and 90% in Scandanavian countries.
There has been an increase in rates in recent years but that’s because of a rise in older mothers and mothers from other countries, rather than successful breastfeeding policies.
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Researcher with the ESRI Dr Anne Nolan says there is a social stigma attached to breastfeeding in Ireland:
