Poor diet for breastfeeding mums ‘could affect family health’

New figures have shown that the majority of mothers who are breastfeeding their babies do not follow a proper diet, which could concern those interested in family health.

A study by the University of Granada has revealed that 94 per cent of Spanish mothers do not obtain their recommended intake of iron, fat and vitamins A and E, which could suggest a similar problem is present in the UK.

It also found that many mothers consume too high a quantity of protein each day, which could affect family health.

Jose Luis Gomez Llorente, an author of the study and member of the department of paediatrics at the university, emphasised the importance of breast feeding to family health.

He said: «Breastfeeding mothers can significantly improve the composition of their milk by optimising their diet by following international recommendations.»

Last year, the UK’s Department of Health redrew its growth charts to take into account differences between breast-fed babies and those who have been bought up on the bottle, making the former the standard.

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