Offer cash incentives to mothers to promote breastfeeding – study

Trial offering shopping vouchers to 10,000 mothers in northern England resulted in significant rise in breastfeeding levels

Cash incentives should be given to mothers to encourage breastfeeding, according to a "pioneering" pilot study.

More than 10,000 new mothers across South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and north Nottinghamshire were involved in the trial, which offered shopping vouchers worth up to 120 if babies received breast milk - either by breastfeeding or with expressed milk - at two days, 10 days and six weeks old. A further 80 of vouchers were given if babies continued to receive breast milk at up to six months.