Breastfeeding by age of baby and age of mother
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Metadata
- High level information
- Weblinks
- Statistical quality information
- Keywords
- Summary information
- Open Data
Title
Breastfeeding by age of baby and age of mother, 2016-2024Last update
August 2025Next update
July 2026 (provisional)Publishing organisation
Welsh GovernmentSource 1
National Community Child Health Database (NCCHD), Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW)Source 2
Maternity Indicators data setContact email
stats.healthinfo@gov.walesGeographical coverage
WalesLanguages covered
English and WelshData licensing
You may use and re-use this data free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government License - see http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licenceWeblinks
http://gov.wales/statistics-and-research/births-national-community-child-health-database/?lang=enhttps://gov.wales/maternity-and-birth-statistics
https://cwmtaf.wales/welsh-government-announce-decision-on-bridgend-boundary-change/
https://gov.wales/written-statement-health-board-boundary-bridgend-associated-planning
Statistical quality
Breastfeeding data at all points in time are subject to data quality issues as some mothers and babies have incomplete records. Breastfeeding data at 10 days, 6 weeks and 6 months is collected when the children have health visitor and GP appointments through the Healthy Child Wales Programme. If a child does not receive a contact, their breastfeeding data may be missing at that contact point. Not all records on the Maternity Indicators data set and the National Community Child Health Database have complete records for breastfeeding status. The completeness rate decreases with the age of the baby and in 2024, was as follows: 98% for intention to breastfeed; 92% at birth; 88% at 10 days; 79% at six weeks; and 78% at 6 months. A completeness table for all data items used in this release from both data sources is available in the quality report (https://www.gov.wales/breastfeeding-data-quality-report).' target='newtab'>https://www.gov.wales/breastfeeding-data-quality-report).Aneurin Bevan have not provided correctly recorded data for the intention to breastfeed data item in 2024 so have been excluded from the intention to breastfeed analysis. In 2024, data for Wales represents the 6 remaining health boards for intention to breastfeed. All health boards are included for the other age points.
The delivery of this programme was affected by COVID-19 and has resulted in a small increase in missing breastfeeding data in Apr-Jun 2020. The percentage of missing data for the quarter Jul-Sep 2020 is in line with pre-COVID-19 levels.
From 1st April 2019 health service provision for residents of Bridgend local authority moved from Abertawe Bro Morgannwg to Cwm Taf. For more information see the joint statement from Cwm Taf and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Boards (see weblinks). The health board names have changed with Cwm Taf University Health Board becoming Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board becoming Swansea Bay University Health Board.
Data for Abertawe Bro Morgannwg and Cwm Taf are available for previous years in this table by selecting the tick boxes in the Area drop-down box.
More detailed information on the sources of data and analyses in this statistical release are provided in the quality report: https://www.gov.wales/breastfeeding-data-quality-report
Keywords
Child health; births; breastfeedingGeneral description
These statistics are derived from two data sources: the Maternity Indicators dataset where a mother’s intention to breastfeed prior to birth is recorded and the National Community Child Health Database (NCCHD) where data for breastfeeding at birth and for babies turning 10 days, 6 weeks and 6 months is recorded and refers to records where there was any breastfeeding. Both data sources are provided to the Welsh Government by Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW).The Maternity Indicators dataset was established in 2016. It combines records from a mother’s initial assessment with a child’s birth record and enables Welsh Government to monitor its initial set of outcome indicators and performance measures (Maternity Indicators). These were established to measure the effectiveness and quality of Welsh maternity services. The Maternity Indicators dataset allows us to analyse characteristics of the mother’s pregnancy and birth process, of which ‘intention to breastfeed’ is one. The process for producing this data is complex largely because there can be multiple initial assessment data and records for both initial assessments and births are not always complete.
The NCCHD was established in 2004 and consists of anonymised records for all children born, resident or treated in Wales and born after 1987. The database brings together data from local Community Child Health System databases which are held by local health boards (LHBs), and its main function is to provide an online record of a child’s health and care from birth to leaving school age. The statistics used in this release are based on the data recorded at birth and shortly after birth.
Full details of every data item available on both the Maternity Indicators dataset and National Community Child Health Database are available through the NHS Wales Data Dictionary: http://www.datadictionary.wales.nhs.uk/#!WordDocuments/datasetstructure20.htm
Data collection and calculation
Data from the Maternity Indicators dataset only includes initial assessment data where the initial assessment and birth both occurred in the same health board, in Wales only.Data should include all hospital births and some home births; however, due to the way data is recorded, we are unable to distinguish between home and hospital births in some health boards. Births to Welsh resident mothers who gave birth in England or in any other country outside of Wales are not included in the data.
Data for each calendar year refers to when the baby was born for both birth and initial assessment statistics. Initial assessments may have taken place in the previous year but would be counted in the year in which the birth occurred. This ensures data throughout a single pregnancy is recorded in the same year.
The NCCHD includes records of all children born in, resident in or receiving services in their relevant local health boards. This means the database contains some information for some children not currently residing in Wales; however, unless otherwise stated, all statistics produced from data sourced from this database is filtered to only include those children born in Wales.
Data on breastfeeding at birth, 10 days, 6 weeks and 6 months refers to the time period in which the activity occurred, rather than when the child was born. The percentages are of the total number of records with stated breastfeeding status. The total number of records for percentage calculations at each point are: the number of women due to give birth for 'Intention to breastfeed'; all live births for 'birth'; and of babies turning the reference age for all other age points.
The NCCHD records both live and stillbirths, however this analysis refers only to live births.
Frequency of publication
AnnualData reference periods
2016-2024Users, uses and context
These statistics are used in a variety of ways. Some examples of these are:• advice to Ministers;
• to inform debate in the Welsh Parliament and beyond;
• to make publicly available data on child health statistics in Wales;
• monitoring service delivery;
• policy development; and
• providing advice on infant feeding choices
The main users are:
• Ministers, policy officials and the Members Research Service;
• local health boards;
• the public;
• the research community;
• students, academics and universities;
• Public Health Wales and other NHS organisations; and
• Breastfeeding support organisations.
