A NEW breastfeeding support service for mothers is being rolled out in children centres and community venues in North Yorkshire.

The county council initiative will see the groups benefit from support by health visitors at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust.

“Breastfeeding is a great way to get your baby off to a good start,” said the county’s executive member for children’s services, Janet Sanderson.

“Although it’s a natural process, breastfeeding is a skill that has to be learned by mothers and babies. We know that many people can find breastfeeding challenging in the early days, so we have made changes to our service for new mums across the county, so that good quality support and help is at hand.

“Breastfeeding protects babies against a wide range of serious illnesses including stomach and chest infections in infancy, and can help prevent heart disease, asthma and diabetes in later life. We also know that breastfeeding reduces the mother’s risk of some cancers – as well as being easier, cheaper and less trouble than bottle feeding.”