There's fantastic news on breast feeding in Bermuda and worrisome news too. A study conducted by Government's Breastfeeding Promotion Committee found that a whopping 94.7 percent of mothers who give birth here, breastfeed. That's really good news. In Canada the rate is 75 percent, in the US 70.9 percent and in the UK 69 percent - Bermuda beats them all.

The World Health Organisation recommend that mothers give their babies an exclusive diet of breast milk for their first six months. The guidelines stipulate: "exclusively means giving your baby only breast milk for 6 months ¿ no other fluids, including water, tea or glucose!"

The latter is where the Bermuda picture fades. The survey followed 332 mothers and found less than one percent of those who started, still on an exclusive breast milk diet at six months. Close to a third of the women -27. 4 percent still breast feeding at six months but were supplementing the babies' diets either with a breast milk substitute or solid foods or both.

The main reasons mothers ceased breastfeeding included concerns about milk supply (37 percent), work commitments (26 percent) and the perception that baby "weaned" him or herself (24 percent). Dr. Cheryl Peek-Ball a member of the Committee said recommendations to improve exclusive breastfeeding rates include: establishing consensus breastfeeding guidelines and improving breastfeeding education and workplace policies.

To see the full survey visit Body & Soul online at www.theroyalgazette.com