Almost half, or 47 per cent, of Irish women are now breastfeeding when they leave hospital, according to an Irish breastfeeding expert.
However, an estimated 50 per cent of women stop breastfeeding before they intend to, due to lack of support.
Speaking at the launch of the European blueprint for action on breast-feeding in Dublin yesterday, Ms Genevieve Becker, national coordinator of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, said that there had been a shift in attitudes toward breast-feeding.
She said it had become "more acceptable" for Irish mothers to breast-feed. The most recent official figures from 2000 show that 40 per cent of Irish women were breast-feeding on discharge from hospital, up from 37 per cent in 1999.
Ms Becker said that unofficial figures for 2004 are much higher and near 47 per cent.
This is compared to 94 per cent of women who breast-feed on leaving hospital in Norway, 53 per cent in France and 70 per cent in the UK.
Further changes in society, including the development of supports to facilitate women who want to breast-feed, are needed, she said.
Mr Micheál Martin, Minister for Health and Children, yesterday launched the blueprint for action which seeks to protect, promote and support breast-feeding across all European countries.
The Minister said the document represents international recognition of the importance of breast-feeding for good health around Europe.
This is the first time a pan-European approach has been taken to address common breastfeeding issues. The project, funded by the EU, involved 28 countries.
Mr Martin said he was particularly interested in the positive correlation between breast-feeding and a reduction in the later incidence of obesity in older children and young adults.