Maternity care 削減（する）s 'stop new mothers breastfeeding'

Published: 00:47 BST, 16 July 2012 | Updated: 07:42 BST, 16 July 2012

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Women stop breastfeed ing their babies earlier in areas where there have been 削減（する）s to maternity services, 研究示唆するs.

Efficiency 貯金 in the NHS are also 主要な to a rise in breastfeeding 減少（する）-off 率s in England, 統計（学） show.

Mothers who live in areas where there have been 削減（する）s to maternity services are more likely to stop breastfeeding in the first eight weeks compared to women in 地域s where there have been no 削減（する）s, health data 分析家s SSentif said.

Rising drop-off rates: New mothers who live in areas where there have been cuts to maternity services are more likely to stop breastfeeding early on

Rising 減少（する）-off 率s: New mothers who live in areas where there have been 削減（する）s to maternity services are more likely to stop breastfeeding 早期に on

国家的に, a third of mothers who breastfeed stop between six and eight weeks after giving birth.

But there are 抱擁する地域の variations of 減少（する）-off 率s - in some areas as many as 60% of women stop in this timeframe compared with just 6% in other places.

国家的に, 72% of women （問題を）取り上げる breastfeeding but in Sandwell 最初の／主要な Care 信用, in the West Midlands, jus t 56.4% of new mothers started breastfeeding between 2009 and 2011. Two thirds of those who breastfed stopped by six to eight weeks.

The PCT 減ずるd spending on maternity services in this time period by 20%, SSentif said.

In contrast, in Westminster PCT - where spending on maternity services 増加するd by 157.5% - nine in 10 new mothers started breastfeeding, with just 6.7% stopping in the first six to eight weeks.

SSentif said that 全体にわたる NHS spending on maternity services has 減少（する）d by almost 4%, with the number of midwives and health 訪問者s dropping by 6 % year-on-year.

Judy Aldred, managing director of SSentif, said: 'The Department for Health places 抱擁する強調 on the importance of breastfeeding and says there is a （疑いを）晴らす事例／患者 for 投資するing in services to support breastfeeding as part of a 地元の child health 戦略.

'However, this seems at 半端物s with the 削減 in spending and staffing we have 設立する.

'We have also 公式文書，認めるd a tremendous 量 of staff 激変 as a result of the 現在の再編成 and our data shows that nearly 50% of health 訪問者s have had to find new positions as their organisations have disappeared.

'It is likely this will have 衝撃d on the service they have been able to 供給する and resulted in a 欠如（する） of 連続 for new mothers.'

Emma Pickett, breastfeeding counsellor for the 協会 of Breastfeeding Mothers: 'Those of us at the coalface of breastfeeding support will not be surprised to hear of the link between breastfeeding success and the spend on maternity services.

'We 絶えず hear from women who have just left hospital and have been shocked at the number of mothers under the care of each midwife.

'Or we hear of midwives and health 訪問者s in the community unable to sit with a mother and 観察する a breastfeed as they are 圧力d to get to the next 任命.

'It’s not ロケット／急騰する science - babies not breastfed are more likely to be hospitalised in the first year of life from 問題／発行するs like gastroenteritis and mothers and babies not supported to breastfeed get re-認める for dehydration.

'That all costs money, so we’ll 簡単に支払う／賃金 for the under spend in the end.'