Current Students and Staff

// University News

1 Aug 2014

LU researchers develop infant feeding manual for teen mums-to-be

Researchers from the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences have developed an infant feeding manual to educate young mums-to-be about the benefits of breastfeeding.

The manual is currently being piloted with a group of pregnant women aged 20 and under. Each section of the manual focuses on a different element of infant feeding, such as the benefits of breastfeeding and tackling common concerns.

Breastfeeding rates in the UK are among the lowest in Western Europe, and figures show that younger, less well-educated mothers living in deprived areas are particularly unlikely to breastfeed.

The researchers want to encourage those who are physically able to initiate and sustain breastfeeding for as long as possible, and to urge them not to be deterred by perceived myths about breastfeeding or pressures from non-breastfeeding peers.

Read the press release for more.