The Scottish Executive has done much to encourage mothers to breastfeed, but there is more to be done, health minister Andy Kerr said in advance of a speech at the Unicef UK Baby-Friendly Initiative conference at the SECC in Glasgow tomorrow.
He pointed to strides made in promoting breastfeeding in Scotland, including the appointment of the national breastfeeding adviser, Jenny Warren, the establishment of the Scottish breastfeeding group which helps disseminate best practice and raises the profile of breastfeeding.
But he admits that there is work to do to meet the national target for breast-feeding, set for 2005.
He says: ''I want to see a Scotland where all those mothers who want to breastfeed can do so and are given the information, support and encouragement they need.
''The Unicef/World Health Organisation Baby-Friendly Initiative is a global concern, endorsing healthcare facilities who adopt practices to support successful breast-feeding. In 1998, Perth Royal Infirmary became Scotland's first Baby Friendly hospital and so far nine out of 10 maternity units are involved.''
However, the target, set in 1994, of 50% of mothers to be breastfeeding their babies at six weeks by 2005 is still some way from being met.
He says: ''Our most recent statistics show a rate of 36.5%. We are developing ways of working to drive this forward.''
The two-day event will be the seventh Unicef UK Baby-Friendly Initiative conference and the first one in Scotland.
The Breastfeeding Bill introduced by Elaine Smith MSP, currently in front of the Scottish parliament, aims to make it an offence to prevent a child from being breastfed
in public.
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