Breastfeeding in Singapore.

This paper traces the trends of breastfeeding in Singapore for the past 40 years, describes the recent breastfeeding education efforts and makes recommendations after drawing inferences from the results of the Breastfeeding Mothers' Support Group's (BMSG) February 1996 survey and other local studies. Although the BMSG and other local studies' sample sizes are small, there are recurring themes in the factors affecting the breastfeeding rates in Singapore. The consistent patterns are that the well-to-do breastfeed more than the poor, the Chinese breastfeed less than the other ethnic groups and the more educated mothers breastfeed more than the less educated ones. Target groups for breastfeeding education are identified--the less the less educated mothers, the Chinese mothers and the working mothers. Hospitals are encouraged to become baby-friendly in their practices. The next step after raising public awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding is to increase the present breastfeeding duration of two months to six months.