We use cookies on our website to track and enhance your user experience. For more information or to update your cookie settings, please refer to our cookie policy.

AcceptDecline
Skip to Content

Breastfeeding

Information on infant feeding in Scotland is routinely collected during the Child Health Reviews carried out by the Health Visitor at 10-14 days (known as the First Visit), 6-8-weeks, and 13-15-months. At these visits the Health Visitor will record whether the baby is exclusively breastfed, bottle fed formula milk, or combined fed (breast and formula). This data is recorded onto the Child Health Systems Programme (CHSP). 

Glasgow City Region

In 2022-23, over two thirds (67%) of babies in Glasgow City Region were recorded as having ever been breastfed at the First Visit. This is slightly higher than the national average (66%).

Exclusive breastfeeding 

In the same year, the proportion of babies in Glasgow City Region who were being exclusively breastfed at the six to eight week review had more than halved, from 67% to 29%; and the proportion of babies who were exclusively breastfed at the 13–15-month review reduced again by half from 29% to 14%.

BF4

These figures highlight that in the first year postpartum, one in four parents who were exclusively breastfeeding, were continuing to do so into the second year.

Combined feeding 

Combined feeding showed a similar downward trend in Glasgow City Region, albeit with slightly higher levels. Data is not available from the First Review, but data shows combined feeding had more than halved from 50% to 21% between the six to eight week review and the 13–15-month review. Similarly, one in four parents who were combined feeding were continuing into the second year. 

BF 5

This trend in reduced exclusive breastfeeding across the three Child Health Reviews was seen across all local authorities in Scotland. 

Comparison with other Local Authorities 

Of all Local Authorities in Scotland, Inverclyde had the lowest proportion of babies being breastfed at the First Review (48%) and Orkney had the highest proportion (91%) followed by City of Edinburgh and Shetland (82%, respectively).

BF 1

At the six to eight week review, the national average for exclusive breastfeeding was 32% and 47% for combined feeding. At this review, Shetland and Orkney continued to have the highest proportion of babies exclusively breastfed (47% Shetland, 48% Orkney) and highest proportion of babies combined fed (Shetland 63%, Orkney 65%) respectively. Inverclyde had the lowest proportion of babies exclusively breastfed (18%) and combined fed (28%).

BF 2

At the 13–15-month review, the national average for exclusive breastfeeding was 9% and for combined feeding it was 14%. At this review, Shetland and Orkney, again, had the highest proportion of babies exclusively breastfeed (Shetland 23%, Orkney 19%) and had some of the highest proportion of babies being combined fed (Shetland 37%, Orkney 32%). East Ayrshire (3%), South Ayrshire (3%), Clackmannanshire (4%), Falkirk (4%), and North Lanarkshire (4%) had the lowest rates of exclusive breastfeeding. South Ayrshire (7%) and East Ayrshire (9%) had the lowest proportion of combined fed babies (7%) compared to all other local authorities and the national average (21%).

BF 3

Overall, it appears exclusive BF and combined feeding tends to drop off by half at each review. Islands typically had higher levels of breastfeeding (either exclusively or combined) but this could be swayed by population size. Continues to be a higher proportion of combined feeding compared to exclusive.

Deprivation 

Between 2002-03 and 2022-23, the proportion of children across Scotland who were exclusively breastfed increased only in SIMD 1 and decreased in SIMD 5. This was found across all three Child Health Reviews.

The absolute inequality between SIMD 1 and SIMD 5 in exclusive breastfeeding also reduced and was most pronounced at the First Visit, where the absolute inequality reduced by 12% points between 2002-03 and 2022-23. Relative inequality between SIMD 1 and SIMD 5 also reduced, but on a smaller scale, with an average reduction of 0.9 across the three Child Health Reviews over the decade. 

Meanwhile, the proportion of children being combined fed increased across all SIMD quintiles, at all three Child Health Reviews, but again with the biggest increase in SIMD 1.

Absolute inequality between SIMD 1 and SIMD 5 for combined feeding reduced by 14% points at First Visit, 11% points at 6–8-week review, and no change at the 13-15-month review. While relative inequality between SIMD 1 and SIMD 5 reduced on average by 0.8 across the three Child Health Reviews, with the biggest reduction occurring at 6-8 weeks.

Overall, there has been a bigger increase in combined feeding, compared to exclusive breastfeeding, throughout the last decade. Increases in exclusive breastfeeding throughout this time is likely attributable to increases within SIMD 1. Likewise the reduction in the inequality gap is likely to be attributed to more babies in SIMD 1 being exclusively breastfed.

Notes

Further information on infant feeding in Scotland can be found via the Scottish Maternal and Infant Nutrition survey (2017).

Historical data on infant feeding for the UK is available from the Infant Feeding Survey from 1975-2010, and the 2023 survey. 

This page was updated in May 2024.