A motion to introduce breastfeeding lessons in secondary schools will be debated in the Seanad this afternoon.
The proposal, made by Green Party senator Pauline O'Reilly, calls for including a lesson on breastfeeding in the Social, Physical, and Health Education (SPHE) curriculum for secondary schools.
Only 62% of babies in Ireland are breastfed at birth, which is among the lowest rates in the world compared to 90% in Australia, 81% in the UK, and 79% in the US.
When newborns are discharged from the hospital, 37% of them are exclusively breastfed, according to the Irish Maternity Indicator Report 2020.
A 2% annual rise in breastfeeding rates was the goal of the National Action Plan for Breastfeeding from 2016 to 2021. Since then, the plan has been extended by two more years, to 2023.
In Ireland, where breastfeeding rates are among the lowest in the world, O'Reilly said, "we have to address this from every angle, and I believe the best way to do that is to start young."
"For this cause. In all settings where individuals will come into contact with women at that stage of their lives, including schools, colleges, and other gathering places, I want to teach people about breastfeeding.
The Galway senator claimed that these lectures will "normalise" breastfeeding and that there needs to be a "cultural shift" in Ireland for people to "feel safe and confident" about it.
"I believe that is where the educational component really plays a role in helping to restore the balance and make it normal." I believe that the lack of breastfeeding normalisation in Ireland is the problem.
"Many of the young people in this country won't have nursed themselves, which means that formula is predominate in our culture. Persons who have people in their lives who can teach them breastfeeding techniques and provide breastfeeding guidance tend to have the most successful breastfeeding journeys.
That’s done by a lot of voluntary organisations at the moment, but it could be done in schools so that you’d actually be able to witness what breastfeeding looks like and also then teach about what will help to address some of the common concerns or issues that people have, and just started talking about it, but also talk about the health benefits of breastfeeding.
According to O'Reilly, the availability of skilled lactation consultants has been a major barrier for new mothers in this country in terms of breastfeeding knowledge and assistance.
Since there are so few of them in public hospitals and community health centres, a large number of women must pay for their own care. That implies that some people—those who can afford it—have access to it, while others do not to the same level.
"That needs to change, and I think the best way to do that is to make sure that lactation consultants are available in every healthcare setting, and that any medical professionals are also trained and experienced in providing breastfeeding support, so that you're not dependent on lactation consultants."
The formula industry, which according to O'Reilly is "huge business in Ireland," is one of the reasons why breastfeeding rates are low in Ireland.
According to Bord Bia's export statistics for 2015–2016, Ireland made baby formula accounted for 35% of all Irish dairy exports as well as 10% of the global market.
The Chinese market accounted for the majority of the €1.5 billion shipment of infant formula.
The demand for infant formula in the Asian market has decreased, according to export data for this year and last year, and this has "proven to be a crucial element in reversing overall Irish dairy growth with the category seeing a reduction of almost €220 million in exports."
The motion demands that the International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes of the World Health Organization be fully implemented and that "no governmental assistance be supplied to any private sector enterprises aimed at parents and health care providers."
O'Reilly stated, "I believe it is safe to say that there is free formula in some hospitals in Ireland, and it can have a tremendously bad influence.
"Someone who wants to breastfeed truly needs assistance for doing so, not necessarily to be given formula. The truth is that they will still have to pay for formula when they reach home. The World Health Organization, I believe, would agree that such promotion is inappropriate while trying to boost breastfeeding rates.
She added that it's crucial for women to have a complete range of options regarding whether or not they want to use formula or breastfeed.
"I'm concentrating on the amount of women who begin breastfeeding and helping them along the way. So, while we are aware that formula is available, accessible, and frequently simpler than breastfeeding, all of the breastfeeding assistance is currently absent.
In order to ensure that everyone has the full range of options, including those who want to use formula and those who want to breastfeed, it is important for us as a nation to be honest about the reasons behind our low rates. Breastfeeding doesn't currently pay well for people.
The motion also demands for the implementation of rules to regulate the marketing, advertising, and promotion of infant formula and complementary milk.
O'Reilly said he had spoken to Minister Catherine Martin about it and proposed it in the Online Media and Safety Regulations Bill 2021, which is currently at second stage in the Dáil.
"I'd like to see it go through in the Dáil and it's a way of making sure the pressure is on for that," she added.
