This week is World Breastfeeding Week, and Health Minister Annette King says it is a timely reminder of the need to improve the level of breastfeeding in New Zealand.
Only half of all New Zealand babies are fully breastfed at three months old.
"Breastfeeding has important health benefits for both babies and mothers. Breastfed babies have fewer childhood illnesses and hospital admissions than babies who have been artificially fed," she says.
The minister says that it will launch its Breastfeeding Action Plan, which outlines steps the ministry and other key health sector organisations will be taking to improve breastfeeding statistics.
The action plan is expected to identify current breastfeeding rates and recommend new breastfeeding rate national targets for babies aged six weeks, three months and six months.
