Increasing breast feeding in a community.

A second survey of infant feeding practice was carried out by questionnaire among patients discharged from one maternity ward at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, in the winter 1974/75. In comparison with the first survey in the winter of 1972/73, significantly more mothers went home breast feeding (52% compared with 37%); these mothers breast fed their babies for a significantly longer period (43% at 5 months compared with 23%), and introduced mixed feeds significantly later (17% at 2 months compared with 64%). Information was also collected on the difficulties the mothers had experienced with breast feeding. The changing patterns in infant feeding practice in Oxford may relate to changes in advice given by health visitors and community health personnel.