Our September news is out. The 2023 BFHI documents are now available; we celebrate the service and mahi of Te Rōpu Whakaruruhau; show off our new resources and keep you up-to-date on research, education and news!

To provide the best start in life, businesses, companies and places of work need to be on board with breastfeeding.

The Paediatric Society of New Zealand (PSNZ), the New Zealand Breastfeeding Alliance (NZBA), and the New Zealand College of Midwives (NZCOM) have joined forces to advocate for workplace support for breastfeeding parents in honour of World Breastfeeding Week.

The first indigenous breastfeeding App, Māmā Aroha, was launched on 2 August 2021. By July 2023 the App had been downloaded nearly 15,000 times, almost entirely from Aotearoa and mostly from mobile devices (905).

These recommendations are a response to an expectation expressed by the Manatū Hauora in 2021 for DHB’s to improve breastfeeding rates.

The Maternal Mental Health Service in New Zealand stocktake report released in 2021 noted several key findings.

Links to the Lancet 2023 Breastfeeding series and recent Australasia & Pacific launch.

After several enquiries, we are sharing information on Infant Feeding in Emergencies.

WABA is pleased to announce that the slogan for #WBW2023 is "Enabling breastfeeding: Making a difference to working parents".

Introducing Kahu Taurima, a joint programme between Te Aka Whai Ora and Te Whatu Ora. The programme aims to transform maternity and early years services, from conception to five years old, for all people across Aotearoa.

The latest report by the Perinatal and Maternal Mortality Review Committee (the PMMRC), released today, paints a stark picture of the persisting inequities that exist within the maternity and neonatal sectors.

Preterm and LBW infants have a 2- to 10-fold higher risk of mortality than infants born at term and with normal birth weight. Despite substantial progress over the last 10 years, the survival, health, growth and neurodevelopment of preterm and LBW infants remains concerning in many countries. Reasons include the complexities of caring for these vulnerable infants and preventing complications.