Factors affecting exclusive breastfeeding at a tertiary maternity hospital

The benefits of breastfeeding to mother and child are well described. However, current exclusive breastfeeding rates in Ireland at discharge from hospital are under 50%1. Only 15% of Irish infants are exclusively breastfed at six months of age, compared with a global figure of 38%2. In this retrospective study, we aimed to identify factors that could affect exclusive breastfeeding rates among primiparous women during three time periods between 2019 and 2021 in a large tertiary

maternity hospital.