Chapter 6 Infographic: Breastfeeding in Canada

• Breastfeeding initiation rates in Canada have increased
  • less than 25% in 1965 vs. 90% in 2015/16
• The most common reasons mothers give for stopping breastfeeding before 6 months are
  • not enough milk
  • difficulty with breastfeeding technique
• In 2011/12, over half (57%) of mothers who breastfed continued some breastfeeding beyond 6 months.
• Close to 25% of women stop breastfeeding before their infant is one month old.
• Breastfeeding rates also vary across the country along a general west-to-east gradient.  In 2011/12, breastfeeding initiation ranged from 96% in British Columbia and Yukon to 57% in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Baby-Friendly Facilities

21 hospitals, 8 birthing centres and 117 community centres are designated as Baby-Friendly facilities in Canada.

Globally only 10% of infants are born in a hospital designated Baby-Friendly.

For references consult Chapter 6: Breastfeeding: Public Health Agency of Canada. Family-Centred Maternity and Newborn Care: National Guidelines. Ottawa (ON): PHAC; 2018