How North Lanarkshire has performed
After a flat trend in the previous year, the latest figures in Figure 09a show a significant increase, with 35.6% of babies breastfed at the 6-8‑week review - up from the previous high of 30.4%.
% of babies breastfed at 6-8 week review
- Figure 09a shows that the improving trends for breastfeeding in North Lanarkshire have followed the level of improvement seen nationally.
- This also shows that the latest figure of 35.6% is a significant improvement from The Plan for North Lanarkshire baseline of 23.1% in 2017/18 (this equates to 225 more babies).
- This shows an improvement in babies in NL who are not breastfed at their 6-8 week review from 76.9% to 64.4% over the period of The Plan for North Lanarkshire.
% of babies breastfed at the first review (around 10-14 days old)
- Figure 09b shows that North Lanarkshire has experienced a small year on year improvement in the proportion of babies breastfed at the first review (around 10-14 days old), which follows the trend in the level of improvement seen nationally.
- The latest figures show that 53.3% of babies in North Lanarkshire are breastfed at the first review (around 10-14 days old), compared to a national average of 69%. Other local authority comparisons are not available earlier than 2019/20 for this measure.
% of babies breastfed at 13-15 month review
- Figure 09c shows that North Lanarkshire had experienced a small year on year improvement in the proportion of babies breastfed at the 13-15 month review, which had been on a par with the level of improvement seen nationally.
- However, the latest figures show that this had dipped slightly from 15.9% to 14.7% of babies in North Lanarkshire are breastfed at the 13-15 month review (compared to a national average of 21.5% which had remained relatively steady from the previous year).
- This is in contrast to the comparative average for the group of similar councils where babies breastfed at the 13-15 month review had increased over the same period (from 18.9% to 20.2%). Other local authority comparisons are not available earlier than 2019/20 for this measure.
North Lanarkshire’s figures for review at 10-14 days old and 6-8 weeks show a positive improving position that mirrors the trend in both the national average and the comparative average for the group of similar councils (Figures 09a and 09b).
Latest results show that over half of all new babies in North Lanarkshire are breastfeed at the first review (around 10-14 days old), but the ability to sustain this can be shown to drop by time of the 6-8 week review and by the time of the 13-15 month review where the results show a decrease from the previous to the current year (15.9% to 14.7%).
Figures 09a, 09b, and 09c show that North Lanarkshire is performing below the national average and the comparative averages for the group of similar councils, but is generally following the same trend.
On average around 3,000 children in North Lanarkshire are eligible for a review at each of the three stages. Only Glasgow and Edinburgh have a higher number of eligible children to be reviewed.
Impact of delivering The Plan for North Lanarkshire
Improving breastfeeding rates means better health for babies and mothers. For babies, it means better nutrition, stronger immunity, and healthier development in the early months of life. Mothers also benefit, with reduced risks of certain cancers and improved wellbeing.
Higher breastfeeding rates contribute to a healthier population overall and ease pressure on health services by reducing preventable illnesses. Together, these outcomes help create a place where families feel supported, children get the best start in life, and long‑term health and resilience can be improved.
This measure shows the proportion of babies that are being breastfed at the 6-8 week review stage (this includes mixed feeding, which means receiving both breast and formula milk).