Nursery World - Breastfeeding dips in informal childcare

Children looked after in informal childcare are 50 per cent less likely to be breastfed, says a new study.

Research by the Institute of Child Health at University College London found that babies who are cared for by relatives, friends, neighbours or unregistered childminders are less likely to be breastfed compared with babies placed in formal childcare, regardless of whether provision was fullor part-time.

Lead researcher Anna Pearce said, 'It is likely that for many mothers, it is not childcare use in isolation that influences the decision to breastfeed, but a chain of antenatal decisions about infant feeding, childcare and employment.'

The study, which looked at whether the association between childcare and breastfeeding varied by social group, found that mothers using informal childcare were less likely to breastfeed regardless of their socio-economic background.

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