BRIGHTON and Hove has the highest rate of mothers who breastfeed their newborns because it is a particularly welcoming and helpful place for new mums.

That’s the view of Efrat Burman, the Brighton leader for breastfeeding support charity La Leche League, following the release of statistics from the NHS showing that almost 60% of new mothers in the city exclusively breastfeed their children during their first two months. The figure compares with Rotherham, where the figure is under 10%, the lowest in the country.

“There is an openmindedness in Brighton and Hove that helps mums to choose breastfeeding,” said Efrat, the mother of a nine-year-old daughter. “There is an openness to different lifestyles that makes families choose to breastfeed. I think breastfeeding is a brilliant thing because it is what we are supposed to do as a species. But new mums need to have information and support, and they need to know how to get that information and support too.”

Efrat, who breastfed her daughter and is an accredited counsellor who supports breastfeeding mothers in Brighton and for a national healthline, added: “What is really really important is that these great statistics are maintained.”

That was echoed by Lydie Lawrence, Brighton and Hove City Council’s public health manager and lead commissioner for breastfeeding services. She described the statistics as “fantastic news”, explaining: “We try to make sure that there are lots of opportunities for women to get access to practical help and advice, and there are lots of breastfeeding support groups across the city.

“We work very closely and very effectively with the local NHS in this area, and have an agreed strategy that we work together jointly to carry out. Above all, we have really talented and dedicated staff working with mothers and families day in and day out in the post-natal wards and in the wider community to get the best possible outcomes for them.

“More than anything, this success is a tribute to the fantastic work done by the city’s breastfeeding team and all the midwives, health visitors and children's centre staff who support breastfeeding in the city.

“As a public health authority, we promote breastfeeding because all the medical evidence suggests that is the healthiest option both for mothers and their babies.

“Women who choose bottle feeding or do mixed feeding are also offered a great deal of support through our midwives and our children’s centre teams.”

Tracy Stapleton, children centre and breastfeeding team manager at Sussex Community NHS Trust said: “Breastfeeding provides the best form of nutrition for babies – it is natural and free and every extra day brings benefits to mum and baby. We are delighted to see that city rates are so high.”