EVERY one per cent increase in breastfeeding rates in St Helens will result in £800,000 per annum to the town's economy over the life of a child, according to a draft report.

A task group was formed to look at the St Helens Infant Feeding Strategy 2016 - 2019, which was presented to the cabinet in November 2016 by from Dympna Edwards, assistant director of public health.

The strategy details St Helens Council's aims, priorities, gaps and an action plan aiming to ensure that families are supported in making informed choices in relation to feeding their child, leading to improvements in health and wellbeing.

Recommendations to address the issue include teaching about the benefits breastfeeding at schools, highlighting the potential savings on costs of formula feeding and ensuring new town centre plans are family friendly.

The report, drafted by St Helens |Council cabinet member for public health and wellbeing Gill Neal and councillors Joe Pearson, Carole Ann Gill and Linda Mussell, states: 'England has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world and St Helens has one of the lowest rates in England.

'The number of women choosing to breastfeed has slowly increased over the last few years and infant feeding support for mothers from the council has increased in recent months.

'However, we acknowledge we still have more work to do to ensure that the children of St Helens get the best start in life they can.

'Low breastfeeding rates are costing the St Helens health economy in excess hospital admissions of babies, treatment of childhood and adult obesity and treatment of additional cases of breast cancer.'

The report says the challenge for St Helens is to change people’s perceptions of breastfeeding, positively support mums who choose to breastfeed, educate women about the benefits of breastfeeding and to make the borough a breastfeeding friendly one.

It adds: 'We learnt that there appears to be a cultural stigma connected to breastfeeding within St Helens. There is a lack of support from families and friends and women feel pressure from their own mothers, partners to discontinue should they encounter difficulties.

'The default advice is to give up. The misconceptions with regards to breastfeeding are plentiful including painfulness, it will not help with the cosmetic look of a woman’s breasts and that all the nutrients a baby needs can come from formula / bottle feeding.

'The strategy aims to combat these misconceptions and actively promote breastfeeding within the borough.'

The group's recommendations include:

* all public facing council buildings to work towards the baby welcome award.

* children’s centres to work towards the UNICEF baby-friendly status

* new town centre plans to ensure family friendly environment created

* effective sharing of information process in place with Whiston Hospital and council support for effective process to be put in place with Warrington, Liverpool & Southport & Ormskirk hospitals.

* build on the antenatal offer with and partnership working between Community Midwifery, Health Visiting and the Infant feeding Team and include information on breastfeeding in the Baby Box University Scheme.

* continue Your Milk Your Story social media campaign targeting lower socio-economic groups highlighting benefits such as savings on costs of formula feeding per year of approx £1,000.

* ensure breastfeeding is incorporated into PHSE, art and drama lessons for children.