Irish Wedding News
21/11/2014
A scheme which aims to increase breastfeeding rates is to be extended to a large-scale trial, it has been announced.
The NOurishing Start for Health (NOSH) scheme offers women £120 of shopping vouchers if they breastfeed their baby for up to six weeks, and an additional £80 if they continue breastfeeding to six months.
While breastfeeding has proven to benefit both mothers and babies, the UK's breastfeeding rate is one of the lowest in the world. The NOSH initiative aims to boost rates in areas where there tends to be a lower level of mothers breastfeeding.
The decision to extend the trial follows on from the success of the initial feasibility phase which launched in November 2013 and involved over 100 women living in three areas with low breastfeeding rates in Derbyshire and South Yorkshire. More than half of eligible mothers signed up to the scheme, with almost two-thirds claiming vouchers for breastfeeding their baby at six to eight weeks.
The scheme was designed by researchers and local healthcare professionals to complement existing breastfeeding support.
During the initial feasibility phase, more than 50 midwives and health visitors helped women sign up to the scheme, while they also co-signed the forms used by breast-feeding mothers to claim the shopping vouchers.
Of the mums who took part, they used the vouchers on a range of things, from groceries and nappies, to baby clothes and toys.
Principal investigator, Dr Clare Relton from the University of Sheffield's School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), commented: "For several decades now the majority of babies in the UK have not been getting enough breast milk, and despite many efforts, this situation has not improved.
"Now we need to conduct the full trial to find out if offering vouchers for breastfeeding can significantly increase our stubbornly low breastfeeding rates and be a cost effective use of UK public funds.
"Last year, there was a lot of controversy about the scheme and we didn't know if it would be acceptable, so we have been delighted to see how enthusiastic local mothers and healthcare professionals have been."
Mary Renfrew, Professor of Mother and Infant Health at the University of Dundee, added: "In areas where most babies are bottle fed women need support to breastfeed. This scheme could make a difference. It's great to be able to test it properly in a large trial."
The forthcoming trial will bring the NOSH scheme to more than 4,000 mothers in the Yorkshire and Derbyshire areas.
(JP/IT)
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NOSH Scheme To Be Extended
A scheme which aims to increase breastfeeding rates is to be extended to a large-scale trial, it has been announced.
The NOurishing Start for Health (NOSH) scheme offers women £120 of shopping vouchers if they breastfeed their baby for up to six weeks, and an additional £80 if they continue breastfeeding to six months.
While breastfeeding has proven to benefit both mothers and babies, the UK's breastfeeding rate is one of the lowest in the world. The NOSH initiative aims to boost rates in areas where there tends to be a lower level of mothers breastfeeding.
The decision to extend the trial follows on from the success of the initial feasibility phase which launched in November 2013 and involved over 100 women living in three areas with low breastfeeding rates in Derbyshire and South Yorkshire. More than half of eligible mothers signed up to the scheme, with almost two-thirds claiming vouchers for breastfeeding their baby at six to eight weeks.
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The scheme was designed by researchers and local healthcare professionals to complement existing breastfeeding support.
During the initial feasibility phase, more than 50 midwives and health visitors helped women sign up to the scheme, while they also co-signed the forms used by breast-feeding mothers to claim the shopping vouchers.
Of the mums who took part, they used the vouchers on a range of things, from groceries and nappies, to baby clothes and toys.
Principal investigator, Dr Clare Relton from the University of Sheffield's School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), commented: "For several decades now the majority of babies in the UK have not been getting enough breast milk, and despite many efforts, this situation has not improved.
"Now we need to conduct the full trial to find out if offering vouchers for breastfeeding can significantly increase our stubbornly low breastfeeding rates and be a cost effective use of UK public funds.
"Last year, there was a lot of controversy about the scheme and we didn't know if it would be acceptable, so we have been delighted to see how enthusiastic local mothers and healthcare professionals have been."
Mary Renfrew, Professor of Mother and Infant Health at the University of Dundee, added: "In areas where most babies are bottle fed women need support to breastfeed. This scheme could make a difference. It's great to be able to test it properly in a large trial."
The forthcoming trial will bring the NOSH scheme to more than 4,000 mothers in the Yorkshire and Derbyshire areas.
(JP/IT)
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