Alex Somlyay (Fairfax, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

It gave me great pleasure on 9 August to table the report of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Health and Ageing inquiry into the health benefits of breastfeeding. Due to the pressure of the business of the House I was not able to speak to the report at the time; nevertheless, the committee felt that we should table the report because it was World Breastfeeding Week.

The report is entitled The best start—report of the inquiry into the health benefits of breastfeeding, and the committee is clear in its belief that breastfeeding really does provide the best start for the youngest and most vulnerable of our community members. The genesis of the report came during the committee’s inquiry into health funding, when a submission was received on the health benefits of breastfeeding. The evidence pointed to the fact that breastfeeding babies would have long-term financial benefits for the health budget in the out years. We could not consider the submission at that late stage but we agreed to have a short, sharp inquiry later into the health benefits of breastfeeding, following the completion of the health funding inquiry.

When we first started the inquiry into the health benefits of breastfeeding, the committee noted the amount of guilt and emotion that surrounds the subject. Initially, most of the submissions were from breastfeeding mothers, so the committee actively sought submissions from mothers who had chosen to bottle-feed, to give us another perspective. The committee were very sensitive at all times to the problem of making mothers feel guilty if they had made the decision not to breastfeed. Mothers making the decision either to breastfeed or to formula-feed their babies need the best available information, and the committee recognised this need for additional support and information.

The health benefits of breastfeeding are numerous and are backed up with evidence. Breastfeeding protects babies against common infections such as those of the gut and the respiratory tract. It lowers the risk of ear infections and allergies and asthma may also be prevented, because the special properties of breastmilk help to give the baby a stronger immune system. The impact of breastfeeding upon chronic disease is also important. Evidence suggests that there is a link between breastfeeding and weight gain in later life. The good early nutrition provided by breastmilk could lessen the risk of obesity in childhood and adulthood. Research is continuing on the links between breastfeeding and other chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. The health benefits of breastfeeding are not limited to the baby alone. Breastfeeding also helps the mother to recover more quickly from childbirth and lowers the risk of breast cancer.

The most recent national health survey found that 83 per cent of women initiated breastfeeding when they were discharged from hospital, that several weeks later many women had stopped breastfeeding and that by six months only 48 per cent of babies were receiving any breastmilk. The dietary guidelines for children and adolescents in Australia say that the goal of having 80 per cent of women exclusively breastfeeding for six months ‘is achievable’. The committee found that women want to breastfeed, health professionals want women to breastfeed and babies want to be breastfed, but somewhere along the way something has changed with breastfeeding and it has become a complex activity for many women.

So what goes wrong? In the early days after they had given birth, many women found that breastfeeding was a lot more painful and complex than they had expected. They got lots of conflicting advice from different nurses and midwives and found themselves discharged from hospital within a couple of days, trying to learn how to breastfeed at home by themselves. When mothers take their babies to the maternal and child health service they may be told that their baby is not gaining enough weight and that they should give the baby some formula. When mothers go to a shopping centre and try to breastfeed in public they are told to go and do that somewhere in private or told that what they are doing is disgusting. Even at home mothers can be told by their family that if they give their baby some formula it will sleep through the night, which will be better for everyone. At every point along the way it seems our mothers are not given enough support to breastfeed.

The committee considers that the Commonwealth government needs to develop a national strategy to promote and support breastfeeding. The rates of breastfeeding in Australia need to be monitored more accurately, especially in remote and Indigenous communities. There needs to be more research in Australia into the health benefits of breastfeeding and into the best ways to promote and support breastfeeding. The committee was told that partners are a big influence on a breastfeeding mother, so they need to be included in breastfeeding education. Maybe there could be special programs for them, like the Talking Dads program at Melbourne’s Royal Women’s Hospital. A key recommendation of the committee is that more needs to be done to educate the community on the benefits of breastfeeding and on how the community can support breastfeeding mothers. The committee found that there was still a strong belief in the community that infant formula was as good as breastmilk. This is not true, and the community should be helping breastfeeding mothers rather than telling them to use formula. However, we recognise that it is important to support mothers who for whatever reason choose not to or cannot breastfeed. These mothers need to be able to access information from health professionals, and this information needs to be accurate and informative. The committee considers donor breastmilk banks could be critical in saving the lives of sick and premature babies and found that there were many women in the community who would happily donate their excess breastmilk. The committee visited the Mothers Milk Bank at John Flynn Private Hospital Medical Centre on the Gold Coast and heard from several parents how the donor milk had contributed to saving the lives of their children. The committee observed the work of the Australian Breastfeeding Association in the community and believes they do a great deal for breastfeeding. The committee was so impressed with the support the ABA provides to mothers that it has recommended that a national, toll-free, 24-hour number helpline be funded.

Returning to work and breastfeeding are two things that are often difficult to combine. Employers can greatly assist women to continue breastfeeding while working by providing lactation breaks and a room with appropriate facilities and just by being encouraging. We should provide leadership here at Parliament House, and to this end the committee has recommended:

That the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate take the appropriate measures to enable the formal accreditation by the Australian Breastfeeding Association of Parliament House as a Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace.

The health system has taken steps to improve how it supports breastfeeding, with the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative. The committee considers that this initiative should be implemented in all maternity hospitals and has recommended accordingly. The committee considers that any strategy to improve rates of breastfeeding in Australia needs to provide protection for breastfeeding as well as support and advice to expectant and new mothers. The committee has taken the decisive step of recommending that the World Health Organisation International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, better known as the WHO code, be implemented in Australia, because the committee considers that mothers need the best information they can get when making a decision on how to feed their baby. I have often said during the course of the inquiry that this is not a witch-hunt against manufacturers. The committee welcomed evidence from the infant formula manufacturers. It acknowledged that, when breastmilk in any form is not available, the only suitable alternative nutrition for infants is infant formula. The committee also reaffirms its support to all mothers.

Compiling such a comprehensive report relies on the assistance of many people. The committee would like to thank the many individuals and organisations who assisted by making a submission or giving evidence at a hearing. Their expertise and experience are greatly valued and it laid a strong foundation for our deliberations. We would also like to acknowledge those who spoke from the heart and told us of their experience about breastfeeding. It was clear that for many women breastfeeding was very difficult, and it is a topic that still fills them with emotion. For others, we could see how fulfilling they found breastfeeding to be.

The committee was fortunate to hear directly from several well-respected organisations and groups who promote and support breastfeeding in the community. We thank the Australian Breastfeeding Association, the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Uniting Church in Australia and the Baby Friendly Health Initiative. There were more groups than I have time to mention, but the committee would like to extend its appreciation for their participation.

The committee also thanks the members of the Gulf communities in Queensland at Pormpuraaw and Kowanyama in remote Far North Queensland. We visited these communities as part of the inquiry and were very appreciative of the time that they gave to the committee. I would also like to place on record our thanks to the hardworking secretariat staff, under the guidance of James Catchpole. James is in the clerk’s chair at the moment. As usual, James has ensured that his team has provided first-class support. I especially want to mention Pauline Brown, who had carriage of this inquiry. It was Pauline’s very first inquiry, and I do not think I have ever seen in my 17 years in parliament a more conscientious officer. Pauline went through a baptism of fire and came out very well indeed. I would also like to thank Lauren and Meg for their expert assistance. I must thank my fellow committee members for the assistance they provided in the course of the inquiry—in particular, deputy chair Steve Georganas, and the previous deputy chair, Jill Hall. I commend the report to the House.

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