Surveys in Maternal & Child Health Centres show 66.6% of babies born in 2002 have been breastfed, and 12.4% of them continued to be exclusively breastfed for over four to six months, the Department of Health says.

The figure is up 6.4 % from 1997, while the main reason for mothers to stop breastfeeding was "not enough milk" (37%), followed by "return to work" (26%).

Speaking at a press conference on the World Breastfeeding Week 2004 held by the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative Hong Kong Association, Dr Ivy Ng of the department's Family Health Service said there is universal agreement that breastfeeding is best for all babies.

"The evidence-based, immediate and long-term benefits of breastfeeding for infants and their mothers, as well as the cost benefits for families and the health care system, have been well recognised," she stressed.

"We fully support and endorse exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, followed by the timely introduction of complementary foods with continued breastfeeding up to two years of age or beyond," she added.

World Breastfeeding Week activities planned

The department has organised a series of promotional activities to tie in with this year's World Breastfeeding Week, the theme of which is exclusive breastfeeding from birth to about six months, which is a global consensus on optimal feeding of infants to achieve optimal growth, development and health.

Activities during this year's World Breastfeeding Week include short radio advertisements, a poster campaign in MTR and railway stations, a promotional booth in the "International Baby Product Expo" and new posters for all Maternal & Child Health Centres, hospitals and doctors' offices.

Dr Ng sincerely hopes that through publicity and continued efforts of all parties concerned, mothers can have sufficient information, support and encouragement on breastfeeding.

"They can then proceed with the gold standard - exclusive breastfeeding for the better health of our children in Hong Kong," she said.

To promote breastfeeding, Maternal & Child Health Centres have been publicising and adopting the "10 Steps to Successful Breastfeeding" and implementing the "International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes".

Centre staff are dedicated to helping mothers to identify and solve their problems, and prevent them from prematurely stopping breastfeeding. Through structured training programmes as well as refresher courses and attachments, all staff are competent in providing up-to-date and effective breadfeeding coaching to mothers.

Each centre has designated experienced nurses as facilitators to help in arranging talks and support groups for antenatal and postnatal women and encouraging their family members to support breastfeeding.