Prevalences and determinants of newborn feeding practices in the Netherlands: insights from the 2023 national survey

Abstract Breastfeeding is acknowledged as the optimal source of nutrition for newborns. Data from 2018 indicated a downwards trend in breastfeeding in the Netherlands. Our primary aim was to assess the current prevalence of breastfeeding, formula feeding, and combination feeding. Additionally, we explored factors influencing maternal feeding choices. A cross-sectional survey study was conducted from 2 November 2023 to 2 December 2023. Dutch parents of infants were recruited via Youth Health Care services and online channels, who completed a structured questionnaire on feeding practices, sociodemographic factors, and reasoning. A total of 4803 questionnaires were filled in, of which 215 (4.5%) were excluded because the child was older than 1.5 years or no feeding information was provided. Among mothers, 64% (2949/4588) initiated exclusive breastfeeding after birth, declining to 53% (2329/4385) at 1 month, 49% (1586/3260) at 3 months, and 33% (679/2083) at 6 months. The primary reason for initiating breastfeeding was the belief that breastfeeding is healthier for the baby (2053/3207, 64.0%). When breastfeeding was discontinued, the predominant reason was insufficient milk supply or fear thereof (352/1260, 27.9%). Of 756 mothers who stopped earlier than planned 73.1% (553/756) felt disappointed. High maternal education, home delivery, and first skin-to-skin contact duration of at least 1 hour were positively associated with exclusive breastfeeding. Targeted interventions and standardized data collection are needed to improve breastfeeding support and enable consistent monitoring of trends over time.