Healthy Child Programme: final report

Following the consultation, the project team recommend that the following headings and definitions are used:

Feeding status
First milk feed	Whether or not the baby's first feed was breast milk.
Milk feeding status of the baby	Whether the baby is totally breast milk fed, partially breast milk fed, or not breast milk fed. To be recorded each time a baby has contact with a health professional.
Date breast milk feeding stopped	Date of last breast milk feed to the nearest month and year.
Introduction of solids	Whether the baby has been introduced to solid foods at the time seen.
Feeding method	A record of the predominant feeding method for the baby, e.g., breast fed, bottle/cup fed, gastrostomy, nasogastric feeds etc.
Feeding concerns	A record of any concerns about the baby’s feeding.

In line with the consultation, the project team recommend that implementation guidance explains that duration of breastfeeding is calculated by asking mothers if they breastfed their child. If so, they should be asked when the last date of breast milk feeding was (to the nearest month and year). Implementation guidance should also make clear that ‘feeding method’ and ‘feeding concerns’ should be recorded each time the child is seen.