BREASTFEEDING

At the time of the survey, 88% of Aboriginal children were reported ever to have been breastfed. This compares favourably with 84% of 4-16 years olds reported ever to have been breastfed for the total population by the 1993 WA Child Health Survey.

Duration of breastfeeding

Over a third (34%) of all Aboriginal children were breastfed for more than 12 months, a proportion significantly higher than the comparable figure of 20% for children aged 4 to 16 years as recorded in the 1993 WA Child Health Survey.

The prevalence of breastfeeding for 12 months or more increased with the level of relative isolation – ranging from 27% in the Perth metropolitan area to 49% in areas of extreme isolation. The finding that mothers of Aboriginal children are more likely to breastfeed longer than mothers in the general population offers a positive basis from which to build health promotion programs in the post-natal period.

CHILDREN AGED 0 TO 17 YEARS – DURATION OF BREASTFEEDING, BY LEVEL OF RELATIVE ISOLATION