Promoting breastfeeding throughout Hull with the voices of local children

Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust’s Infant Feeding Team have partnered with Hull City Council’s Public Health and made a dramatic impact on increasing breastfeeding rates in Hull. They have now brought out a new resource to spread the positive messaging about breastfeeding and helping to normalise it in and around Hull.

Innovative and accessible new videos have now been launched and can be shared across the region to further promote breastfeeding. The voices of real school primary children from Hull have been transformed into animated shapes talking about the benefits and what can be done to support breastfeeding. Talking to children and young people is key to normalising this beneficial health practice, and their voices perfectly share the messages that can be delivered to both children and adults alike.

When creating the videos, teams visited schools in areas of Hull where breastfeeding rates are particularly low. They talked to children about breastfeeding, then asked them a series of questions to capture their adorable answers. The outcome was insightful and valuable information about the health benefits of breastfeeding being shared.

These videos are not the only supportive resource available to families in Hull, there is also the Milk Trail which highlights public spaces where breastfeeding is welcomed and encouraged and helps to educate in a fun and interactive way. The family-friendly trail is a great way to explore the city centre and free to take part in. The nine locations which make up the trail are part of a wider network of 120 Breastfeeding-Friendly venues throughout the city.

Through their focus and determination to collectively promote breastfeeding in the local area, the infant feeding team have successfully increased babies’ receiving breast milk at age 6 weeks to 46.8%, representing a 4.7% increase in just one year. Additionally, more than half of all babies seen at 10 days old are now receiving breast milk (56.9%) in Hull which is a fantastic achievement.

In 2024 the Trust’s Infant Feeding team were awarded the UNICEF Baby Friendly Gold Award, underpinning the exceptional work and transformation taking place in Hull. This award is the highest level of accreditation and celebrates excellent and sustained practice in the support of infant feeding.

Hull is noted as the 4^th most deprived city in the UK, making the impact of increasing breastfeeding rates even more significant.

Ellie Talbot-Imber, Infant Feeding Lead at Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust, shared, “The progress we have made in Hull has been incredible and we are delighted with the latest results which show how many babies are now receiving breast milk. As we push closer to half of our families now breastfeeding at 6 weeks, this new resource will help support our next steps. The videos we are now able to share are testament to the impact of educating primary school children in the value of breastfeeding. They speak with such knowledge and interest, which is going to have a hugely positive effect on our future generations of breastfeeding families in Hull.”

Ellie Talbot-Imber (left) and Debbie Jackson (right)

Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust’s own Chief Executive is also the Trust’s Breastfeeding Guardian, Michele Moran shared how important this progress is to the wider health of Hull residents. “As a Health visitor myself, I am passionate about sharing the health benefits of breastfeeding. It provides babies with the ideal nutrition, boosting their immune system and promoting healthy development from the start. The health benefits are not just limited to babies either, there is growing evidence that it reduces a breastfeeding mothers’ risk for developing a number of types of cancer as well as the obvious bonding opportunity it provides.”

For more information about the Trust’s Infant Feeding Team and the support they can provide visit https://connect.humber.nhs.uk/service/infant-feeding/breastfeeding-support-infant-feeding/