It's a case of cash for breast milk. A pilot scheme being launched in two UK cities will offer new mothers shopping vouchers worth up to £200, if they breastfeed their babies for the first six months of their lives.
Nourishing Start for Health, or NOSH, run by the University of Sheffield, will be available to mothers in Sheffield and Chesterfield. Breastfeeding reduces the risk of many diseases, for both mother and child, but in these areas, only about 25 per cent of women breastfeed, even for the first two months of life. The national average is 55 per cent. According to a UNICEF study, the UK National Health Service could save £31 million a year by increasing breastfeeding.
The US, Canada and France have also tried giving mothers a financial incentive to breastfeed – with some success.
This article will appear in print under the headline "Mum's milk money"
- New Scientist
- Not just a website!
- Subscribe to New Scientist and get:
- New Scientist magazine delivered every week
- Unlimited online access to articles from over 500 back issues
- Subscribe Now and Save
If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.
Have your say
Only subscribers may leave comments on this article. Please log in.
Only personal subscribers may leave comments on this article
All comments should respect the New Scientist House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please use the "Report" link in that comment to report it to us.
If you are having a technical problem posting a comment, please contact technical support.
