Breastfeeding, quarterly counts by age and local health board

Contents

Standard shorthand is used in this table: [t] = total, [z] = not applicable.

View options

Filters

Data description ( of 1 selected1 selectable options)

Select all Data description|Select None of Data description

Local Health Board ( of 10 selected10 selectable options)

Select all Local Health Board|Select None of Local Health Board
Select all Wales|Select None of Wales

Quarter ( of 44 selected44 selectable options)

Select all Quarter|Select None of Quarter

Milk type ( of 8 selected8 selectable options)

Select all Milk type|Select None of Milk type
Select all All babies|Select None of All babies
Select all Any Breastfeeding|Select None of Any Breastfeeding

Age of baby ( of 4 selected4 selectable options)

Select all Age of baby|Select None of Age of baby

Data valuesData descriptionLocal Health BoardQuarterMilk typeAge of baby
6,719 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025All babiesBirth
6,660 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025All babies10 days
6,516 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025All babies6 weeks
6,345 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025All babies6 months
3,786 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025Any BreastfeedingBirth
3,478 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025Any Breastfeeding10 days
2,613 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025Any Breastfeeding6 weeks
1,761 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025Any Breastfeeding6 months
3,663 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025Exclusively Breast MilkBirth
2,355 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025Exclusively Breast Milk10 days
1,797 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025Exclusively Breast Milk6 weeks
1,258 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025Exclusively Breast Milk6 months
67 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025Combined Milk - Predominantly BreastBirth
732 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025Combined Milk - Predominantly Breast10 days
531 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025Combined Milk - Predominantly Breast6 weeks
337 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025Combined Milk - Predominantly Breast6 months
56 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025Combined Milk - Partially BreastBirth
391 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025Combined Milk - Partially Breast10 days
284 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025Combined Milk - Partially Breast6 weeks
166 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025Combined Milk - Partially Breast6 months
0 [t] [z]NumberWalesQ2 2025Breastfed UnspecifiedBirth
0 [t] [z]NumberWalesQ2 2025Breastfed Unspecified10 days
1 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025Breastfed Unspecified6 weeks
0 [t] [z]NumberWalesQ2 2025Breastfed Unspecified6 months
2,077 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025Not Breast MilkBirth
2,460 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025Not Breast Milk10 days
2,898 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025Not Breast Milk6 weeks
3,505 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025Not Breast Milk6 months
856 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025UnknownBirth
722 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025Unknown10 days
1,005 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025Unknown6 weeks
1,079 [t]NumberWalesQ2 2025Unknown6 months
6,449 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025All babiesBirth
6,384 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025All babies10 days
6,205 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025All babies6 weeks
6,791 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025All babies6 months
3,735 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025Any BreastfeedingBirth
3,410 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025Any Breastfeeding10 days
2,461 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025Any Breastfeeding6 weeks
1,873 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025Any Breastfeeding6 months
3,592 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025Exclusively Breast MilkBirth
2,355 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025Exclusively Breast Milk10 days
1,688 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025Exclusively Breast Milk6 weeks
1,334 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025Exclusively Breast Milk6 months
72 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025Combined Milk - Predominantly BreastBirth
634 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025Combined Milk - Predominantly Breast10 days
487 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025Combined Milk - Predominantly Breast6 weeks
353 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025Combined Milk - Predominantly Breast6 months
71 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025Combined Milk - Partially BreastBirth
420 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025Combined Milk - Partially Breast10 days
286 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025Combined Milk - Partially Breast6 weeks
186 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025Combined Milk - Partially Breast6 months
0 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025Breastfed UnspecifiedBirth
1 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025Breastfed Unspecified10 days
0 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025Breastfed Unspecified6 weeks
0 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025Breastfed Unspecified6 months
1,932 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025Not Breast MilkBirth
2,387 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025Not Breast Milk10 days
2,868 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025Not Breast Milk6 weeks
3,844 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025Not Breast Milk6 months
782 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025UnknownBirth
587 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025Unknown10 days
876 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025Unknown6 weeks
1,074 [t]NumberWalesQ1 2025Unknown6 months
6,475 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024All babiesBirth
6,571 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024All babies10 days
6,851 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024All babies6 weeks
6,805 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024All babies6 months
3,731 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024Any BreastfeedingBirth
3,366 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024Any Breastfeeding10 days
2,588 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024Any Breastfeeding6 weeks
1,870 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024Any Breastfeeding6 months
3,555 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024Exclusively Breast MilkBirth
2,308 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024Exclusively Breast Milk10 days
1,759 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024Exclusively Breast Milk6 weeks
1,339 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024Exclusively Breast Milk6 months
86 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024Combined Milk - Predominantly BreastBirth
693 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024Combined Milk - Predominantly Breast10 days
528 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024Combined Milk - Predominantly Breast6 weeks
340 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024Combined Milk - Predominantly Breast6 months
90 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024Combined Milk - Partially BreastBirth
364 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024Combined Milk - Partially Breast10 days
300 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024Combined Milk - Partially Breast6 weeks
191 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024Combined Milk - Partially Breast6 months
0 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024Breastfed UnspecifiedBirth
1 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024Breastfed Unspecified10 days
1 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024Breastfed Unspecified6 weeks
0 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024Breastfed Unspecified6 months
2,063 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024Not Breast MilkBirth
2,426 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024Not Breast Milk10 days
3,079 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024Not Breast Milk6 weeks
3,689 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024Not Breast Milk6 months
681 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024UnknownBirth
779 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024Unknown10 days
1,184 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024Unknown6 weeks
1,246 [t]NumberWalesQ4 2024Unknown6 months
6,982 [t]NumberWalesQ3 2024All babiesBirth
6,849 [t]NumberWalesQ3 2024All babies10 days
6,718 [t]NumberWalesQ3 2024All babies6 weeks
6,719 [t]NumberWalesQ3 2024All babies6 months
Showing 1 to 100 of 11,008 rows
Page 1 of 111

Next update expected:19 November 2025

Updates

19th November 2025
5th November 2025
Dataset first published.

Main information

Designation
Official statistics
Data provider
Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW)
Data source
National Community Child Health Database (NCCHD)

Overview

Summary of dataset and variables

Number of breastfeeding by feeding type, age of baby, local health board and quarter from 2014 to 2025. The source of the data is the National Community Child Health Database (NCCHD); a database maintained by Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW). The data is extracted routinely from Local Health Board (LHB) held Child Health System databases.

Dimension specific notes:

  • From 1st of April 2019 health service provision for residents of Bridgend local authority moved from Abertawe Bro Morgannwg to Cwm Taf. The health board names have changed with Cwm Taf University Health Board becoming Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board.
  • Combined Milk - Partially Breast: 75% or less of the feeds in previous 24 hours were breastfeeds.
  • Combined Milk - Predominantly Breast: >75% of the feeds in the previous 24 hours were breastfeeds.
  • Exclusively Breast Milk: Breastfeeding or receiving breast milk by any other means e.g. tube, cup, syringe etc and essential medication.
  • Not Breast Milk: Formula milk and any other drink but no breast milk.
Data collection or calculation

In this dataset, quarter refers to calendar year quarter.

From 1st April 2019 health service provision for residents of Bridgend local authority moved from Abertawe Bro Morgannwg to Cwm Taf. The health board names have changed with Cwm Taf University health board becoming Cwm Taf Morgannwg University health board and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University health board becoming Swansea Bay health board.

Statistical quality

Breastfeeding data at all points in time are subject to data quality issues as some mothers and babies have incomplete records. Breastfeeding data at 10 days, 6 weeks and 6 months is collected when the children have health visitor and GP appointments through the Healthy Child Wales Programme. If a child does not receive a contact, their breastfeeding data may be missing at that contact point. Not all records in the National Community Child Health Database have complete records for breastfeeding status. The completeness rate decreases with the age of the baby.

Breastfeeding data at 10 days, 6 weeks and 6 months is collected through the Healthy Child Wales Programme. The delivery of this programme has been affected by COVID-19 and has resulted in a small increase of missing breastfeeding data in Q2 2020 (April to June 2020). The percentage of missing data for the Q3 2020 (July to September 2020) is in line with pre-COVID-19 levels. This should be noted when making comparisons between these two quarters.

Related reports

Published by

Organisation
Welsh Government
Contact email
stats.healthinfo@gov.wales

Select the filtered or whole dataset to download

Select download format

Contains only the dataset
Contains only the dataset
Contains only the dataset

Select number formatting

This includes rounding to decimal places and commas to separate thousands
This includes rounding to decimal places and commas to separate thousands

Select language

Metadata

The metadata for this dataset is not included when you download the data. You can download this separately. This contains all the information from the 'About this dataset' tab.

Download metadata