A blog by staff at the University of Derby has said that more should be done to support mums and parents to breastfeed children for longer.

"Raising Awareness of Breastfeeding Beyond Infancy" was written by university research nurse, Jessica Jackson, and senior lecturer in psychology, Dr Jenny Hallam, as part of Breastfeeding Celebration Week.

The published academic touched on a number of issues relating to breastfeeding in 2021, including stigma attached to breastfeeding toddlers and the importance of language.

Guidance from the World Health Organisation says newborns should be breastfed until they are at least two years old, with solid food introduced from six months.

But a study in 2016 showed how children in high-income countries often stop breastfeeding before their first birthday, with only around one percent of parents breastfeeding beyond a year in the UK.

The blog detailed how breastfeeding for longer is important for a toddler's diet and has positive consequences for behaviour, emotional development and bonding between child and parent.

But Ms Jackson says the trend is one which has developed over decades. She said: "Today, formula companies continue to be allowed to use sophisticated marketing campaigns to target parents, by seeking to elicit emotional responses or claim solutions to common health concerns.

"Bottle feeding is so socially embedded into our culture now that those who do successfully breastfeed are considered outside the norm. This is why it is extremely important to provide and empower new parents with education and support. The key is raising awareness that this is problem society needs to take responsibility for, without blaming or shaming mothers who do or don’t breastfeed.

"Although breastfeeding is biologically natural, it is a learnt maternal behaviour which relies upon observing feeding practices from relatives. In the early twentieth century, advances in medical interventions meant that it became the norm for a woman to give birth in hospital and have physicians overseeing the physical growth and nutrition of their infant.






"At the same time these physicians joined forces with commercial manufacturers for the mass production and marketing of artificial formula. Improvements in dairying practices, general sanitation, chlorination of water and the ability to sterilise bottles and store milk meant the risks to bottle feeding were dramatically reduced.

"This began the mass decline of crucially needed knowledge and skills for breastfeeding to practices to be passed from one generation to the next."

Research suggests that children can naturally wean aged up to seven years old, but Ms Jackson's work indicates that mothers found themselves isolated by family and friends for continuing to breastfeed.

Mums also found that medical advice was lacking for breastfeeding beyond infancy, creating a distrust between parents and doctors when it could be harmful to both parent and child to stop breastfeeding prematurely.

Ms Jackson also said that family, friends and peers can do more to create a welcoming environment for those who still choose to breastfeed, including avoiding language such as "beyond", "continued" or "extended" when describing the practice.

She added: "Everyone can do their bit to help tackle stigma.

"Educate yourself on the importance of breastfeeding and breastfeeding beyond the early stages.

"Understand that culturally it has become very difficult for new mothers to succeed and continue to breastfeed to the recommended duration of two years and beyond.

"Raise awareness within your social circles and call out anybody expressing negative connotations towards breastfeeding a toddler."