Health visitors in Bradford are getting some unusual help to encourage more new mums to breast feed.

They are using knitted breasts made by the Wyke Knit and Natter Group as educations aids to teach mums how to effectively breastfeed.

The group, part of the Wyke New Horizons Interests Group, is being funded by the NHS to knit 120 ‘breasts’ which will be used across the district by health visitors.

Babies who are breastfed have better health, including less heart disease, stomach upsets, urine and ear infections, eczema and childhood diabetes. Breast milk is the perfect food providing everything a baby needs, in the right quantities, for the first six months of its life, say health experts.

The initiative is one of the reasons NHS Bradford and Airedale and the district’s health visiting service has achieved the UNICEF stage one accreditation – an internationally recognised standard which reflects the local commitment to breastfeeding promotion and practices.

The UNICEF UK Baby Friendly initiative provides a structured programme, with support and guidance, to help healthcare providers achieve Baby Friendly accreditation and improve breastfeeding rates.

It has developed a feeding policy that outlines a minimum standard of care that women can expect from the services.

This includes making sure that health visitors have the necessary skills to support women to breastfeed successfully. This training has also been extended to GPs to ensure a high standard of care across the district.

Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is already an accredited unit and Airedale NHS Trust is well on its way and has achieved stage two.

Samantha Britton, breastfeeding co-ordinator for NHS Airedale, Bradford and Leeds, said: “This is fantastic news for the district as it means we have the foundations in place to begin to build a first class service where all organisations and professions will be working together to support women to breastfeed successfully.”

Ann Hobbiss, Every Baby Matters manager at NHS Airedale, Bradford and Leeds, said: “Breastfeeding is high on our local health agenda so it’s rewarding to have UNICEF Baby Friendly recognition that we’re putting all our policies into practice and making a real difference.

“Breast milk is the best milk and can help improve the health and wellbeing of babies – to make sure they get the best start in life.”