% of infants breastfed at age 3 months

Armenia

Source of data: National Health Information Analytic Center, Ministry of Health of the Republic of
Armenia www.healthinfo.am. Data collected annually, reference period: 31 December.

Belgium

Sources:
1997 : National Health Interview Survey (Scientific Institute of Public Health,
http://www.wiv-isp.be/epidemio/epien/index4.htm, http://www.wiv-isp.be/epidemio/hisia/index.htm).
2009 : data concern only the Walloon Region, the population is defined as all children aged between
18 and 24 months at the time of the investigation : Enquete de couverture vaccinale en Communaute
francaise, Bruxelles excepte - 2009 - PROVAC
(http://www.sante.cfwb.be/fileadmin/sites/dgs/upload/dgs_super_editor/dgs_editor/documents/Publicati
ons/vacc/2009_CVac_nourrissons.pdf)
2012 : the population is defined as all children aged between 18 and 24 months at the time of the
investigation; the indicator has been calculated considering the coverage per Region according to
the population.
Flanders : 53.8%
Walloon Region (without German Region) : 54.5%
Brussels-Capital Region : 73.9% (Brussels has many more mothers of foreign origin for which
breastfeeding is more important)
Flemish Region : Pierre Van Damme, personal communication and Van Damme P, Theeten H, Braeckman T,
Lernout T, Hens N, Hoppenbrouwers K et al. Vaccination coverage survey in infants and adolescents in
Flanders in 2012. Available at http://www.zorg-en-gezondheid.be/vaccinatiegraad Vaccination coverage
survey in infants and adolescents in Flanders in 2012
(http://www.zorg-en-gezondheid.be/vaccinatiegraad)
Walloon and Brussels Regionsÿ: Robert E., Swennen B., Allaitement maternel : donnees comparees,
Wallonie (a l'exception de la Region germanophone) et Region de Bruxelles-Capitale, Bruxelles, Ecole
de sante publique, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, 2013

Croatia

Source: Croatian National Institute of Public Health.
Break in time series:
-2014: Decrease is due to change from manual to electronic data reporting system.

Cyprus

No data are available

Czechia

Source: Institute of Health Information and Statistics of CR (IHIS CR).
In 2014 data not available

Denmark

N/A

Estonia

Source: Annual reporting, National Institute for Health Development.
Break in time series: There is a break in time series starting from 2013, therefore data up to 2012
is not comparable to data from 2013 onwards. Data for 1991-2012 include fully and partially
breastfed infants. From 2013 only fully breastfed infants are included (additionally they may get
vitamins and medicaments but not anything else).

Finland

Source: THL (National Institute for Health and Welfare).
Survey on Infant Feeding (every 5th year).

Georgia

Source: National Centre for Disease Control and Public Health of Georgia (NCDC)
(http://www.ncdc.ge).

Germany

Source:
2003-2008: Robert Koch-Institute (RKI), German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children
and Adolescents Wave 1 (KiGGS wave 1); special evaluation by the Robert Koch-Institute.
1986-2002: Robert Koch-Institute (RKI), German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children
and Adolescents (KiGGS basic); special evaluation by the Robert Koch-Institute.
http://www.kiggs-studie.de or http://www.rki.de
Coverage:
Prevalence of full breastfeeding up to age of at least fourth months for the birth cohorts 1986-2008
based on the results of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and
Adolescents - Wave 1 and the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and
Adolescents - basic.
Estimation method:
1986-2002: The baseline survey of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children
and Adolescents (KiGGS) is part of the health monitoring of the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) and was
conducted from May 2003 to May 2006. The aim of this nationwide interview and examination survey was
to collect comprehensive and nationally representative data on the health of children and
adolescents aged 0 to 17 years. Data on breastfeeding behavior in the KiGGS-baseline survey were
collected by way of written self-completion questionnaire of the parents.
The breastfeeding behavior was recorded by the following questions:
- ?Was your child breastfed??
- ?If so, to what month of life it was quenched??
- ?How long was your child exclusively breastfed, this means without additional feeding of baby
formula, baby food and complementary food??
In this case, the question on exclusive breastfeeding asked in KiGGS basic oriented itself on the
definition of full breastfeeding, which permits in addition to the exclusive breastfeeding also the
predominant breastfeeding.
2003-2008: The follow-up survey of the German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children
and Adolescents (KiGGS) is also part of the health monitoring of the Robert Koch-Institute (RKI) and
was conducted from May 2009 to May 2012. The survey was carried out by telephone interview.
The breastfeeding behavior was recorded by the following questions:
- ?Has your child ever been breastfed??
- ?Up to what month of life your child was breastfed??
- ?In what month of life have you begun to additionally provide water, tea or juice??
- ?In what month of life have you started to additionally feed infant formula, baby cereal, baby
food jars or other complementary food??
Here, the begun months of life were each documented.
Deviation from the definition:
Prevalence of full breastfeeding up to age of at least three months is not available.
Break in time series:
Data of the cohorts 1986-2002 derive from the KiGGS basic, 1 to 17 year-olds are included.
Data of the cohorts 2003-2008 derive from the KiGGS wave 1, 1 to 10 year-olds are included.

Hungary

Data from 1990 include those infants who were breastfed at 3 months of age. Before 1990, only those
infants who received nutrition exclusively through breastfeeding were included.

Iceland

Source: Directorate of Health.
Prior to 2007: Based on surveys. Infants breastfed at 4 months of age.
As of 2007: Based on regular registration at primary health care centres. % of infants reaching
their first birthday in the given calendar year who were breastfed, at least partially, when they
were 3 months of age.

Ireland

Source: Health Service Executive Corporate Plan Report May 2011 Refers to infants who were
exclusively breastfed at 3 months.

Israel

Source: National Nutrition Survey and ICDC & Nutrition Department, Ministry of Health. Since 2014,
Mother and Child Department, Ministry of Health, based on a new born registry, which includes 70% of
all infants.

Italy

Source: ISTAT - Survey on health and access to health services 1999-2000. We refer to women who
gave birth in the last 5 years and breastfed, at least partially, their last child until he/she was
3 months old.
Note that data refer to an average of years 1999 and 2000.
Note also that data from 1987 came from a different source and therefore are not comparable with
1999-2000 data.

Latvia

Note: From 2000 to 2002, the value of this indicator was calculated at age 4 months. These changes
were performed according to recommendations of Breastfeeding promotion and protection committee of
Ministry of Welfare and Latvian breastfeeding promotion and protection association.

Lithuania

Source: HI HIC, data of annual report of health care institutions

Luxembourg

National definition: % of infants aged 4 months who were breastfed, at least partially. Attention is
drawn to the difference between the required indicator (breastfeeding at 3 months of age) and the
provided one (breastfeeding at 4 months of age).
Source: Survey on breastfeeding incidence in Luxembourg.

Malta

Data are not available.

Montenegro

Data are not available.

Netherlands

Source of data: Statistics Netherlands: Health Interview Survey. Data are 3-yearly averages. No data
for 2010 and 2011, and thus not for the 3-yearly averages which use these years.

Norway

Source of data: Data for 1998 from a National Health Survey of about 3000 women.

Portugal

Source of data (for 1999 and previous years): Ministry of Health - National Health Institute (INSA)
and National Institute for Statistics (INE), National Health Survey. Coverage: Only Mainland
Source data (for 2011-2012): Ministry of Health - Directorate General of Health (DGS), Annual
Report
Publication: Breastfeeding Register
Coverage: Data are collected in hospitals and primary health care facilities, on a voluntary basis,
in accordance with WHO guidance documents.

Romania

Source of data: Yearly survey of about 30000 live-born infants followed to the age of 6 months.
Survey carried out by the Institute of Mother and Child Protection, Ministry of Health

Serbia

No data are available.

Slovakia

Source. National Health Information Centre (NIC)
Web page: http://www.nczisk.sk/Publikacie/Edicia_Zdravotnicka_statistika/Pages/default.aspx

Includes only infants who receive nutrition exclusively from breastfeeding.

Spain

Source: Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality. National Health Survey Data relate to
population between 6 months and 4 years of age. Figures computed excluding missing values

Sweden

Source of data: The National Board of Health and Welfare (NBHW)
% of infants born in the given calendar year who were breastfed, at least partially, when they were
3 months (average of 2 and 4 months) of age.

Türkiye

Source of data: Turkey Demographic and Health Survey 2003, 2008 and 2013.
Method: Percentage of infants breastfed up to but not including the 3rd month.

Turkmenistan

Source of data: Administrative medical statistics, forms: 13 ?Report on medical assistance to
children? and 025-112/y ?Ambulatory medical card of a patient?.
Break in time series: 2010 ? 2011: Decline in breastfeeding at 3 month of age in 2010 - 2011 due to
the fact that survey data on breastfeeding was used.
Note: The quarterly reporting data on infant feeding are collected by family physicians. During the
survey the mothers of children 0-59 months were asked how babies were fed within 24 hours prior to
the survey.

Ukraine

Source: Centre of Health Statistics, Ministry of Health.
Note: Up to 3 months ? infants breastfed from birth to the end of the third month. The number of
these children is smaller than those breastfed at 6 month. Up to 6 months ? infants breastfed from
birth to the end of the sixths month. The number of these children is larger - indicating the good
work of paediatric service and the promotion of breastfeeding.

United Kingdom

Coverage: Survey only conducted every 5 years so data only available for years 2000, 2005 and 2010
Deviation from the Definition: The survey measures breastfeeding at 6 weeks, 4 months & 6 months.
Therefore a measure of 3 months is not possible. The data presented here are for babies aged 4
months