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	Ireland has &quot;the lowest rate of breastfeeding in the world,&quot; and most Irish maternity hospitals are not enforcing national Breastfeeding Policy guidelines, according to the authors of a new report.</p>
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	They also warned that &quot;urgent action&quot; must be taken to warn Irish parents about the risks of early weaning, with evidence that half of Irish babies are being put on to solid food at four months.</p>
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	Medical advice is to hold off on solids until the child is six months.</p>
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	The Growing Up in Ireland study found that just 56pc of respondents reported that their child was ever breastfed, as against a European norm of around 90pc.</p>
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	By six months, the number of mothers still exclusively breastfeeding was down to just 6pc.</p>
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	Irish women were &#39;less likely to breastfeed compared to all other nationalities&#39;, the report found.</p>
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	An industry expert told the Irish Independent that the Government is spending less than &euro;100,000 a year on promoting breastfeeding, with just one breastfeeding co-ordinator employed on a national basis.</p>
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	The cost of treating acute infections in infants nationally stands at around &euro;12m to &euro;15m each year.</p>
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	Co-author of the report, Richard Layte of the ESRI, said that if &quot;a fraction&quot; of this money was spent in promoting breastfeeding, it would save money even in the short-term, since breastfeeding prevents such infections in the first place.</p>
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	Meanwhile, Professor Layte expressed concern that half of Irish children are being weaned far too early, at four months, and said health professionals need to communicate a clearer message about the consequences.</p>
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	Earning weaning sparks rapid weight gain and, while some Irish parents consider this to be a positive thing, Prof Layte warned that this can lead to metabolic disorders later in life.</p>
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	<a href="http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/ireland-has-worlds-lowest-rate-for-breastfeeding-30912066.html">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/ireland-has-worlds-lowest-rate-for-breastfeeding-30912066.html</a></p>
