This report includes progress made since the Government’s Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: A Cross-Government Strategy for England was published in 2008.
It sets out how the Government is helping people to make healthier choices; creating an environment that promotes healthy weight; ensuring effective services are available for those at risk; and strengthening the delivery system to support frontline services.
Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: Two Years On sets out the encouraging progress the Government has made on achieving its ambition to halt the rise of child obesity and the challenge ahead to tackle adult obesity.

Department of Health advice and recommendations on maternal and infant nutrition plus information about Maternity Matters, the Government commitment to developing a high quality, safe and accessible maternity service.

The Department of Child and Adolescent Health, in collaboration with the epidemiology unit in the University of Pelotas, Brazil, conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis of studies to assess the association between breastfeeding and blood pressure, diabetes and related indicators, serum cholesterol, overweight and obesity, and intellectual performance.
  Two reviewers independently evaluated study quality, using a standardized protocol, and disagreement was resolved by consensus rating. Subjects who were breastfed experienced lower mean blood pressure and total cholesterol, as well as higher performance in intelligence tests. Prevalence of overweight/obesity and type-2 diabetes was lower among breastfed subjects. All effects were statistically significant but for some outcomes their magnitude was relatively modest.

A key Department of Health publication, The Pregnancy Book has been revised and will be given free to expectant mothers and parents in England. The book is extremely popular and a trusted authority on all aspects of maternity. By providing in-depth support, useful contact information and advice on rights and benefits, the book is an excellent addition to the support provided by maternity teams. The book’s content has been updated to reflect new policies, changing social trends and advice and guidance.

A key Department of Health publication, Birth to Five has been revised and will be given free to all parents in England. The book is extremely popular and a trusted authority on all aspects of early years. By providing in-depth support, useful contact information and advice on rights and benefits, the book is an excellent addition to the support provided by the health visiting team. The book’s content has been updated to reflect new policies, changing social trends and advice and guidance.

As well as providing health professionals with information and resources to help with their day-to-day work, this site also contains advice for women who are thinking about breastfeeding or who are actually breastfeeding. So that you can help them with questions about the site, it may be useful for you to be familiar with its contents.

The national Child and Maternal Health Observatory (ChiMat) provides information and intelligence to improve decision-making for high quality, cost effective services. It supports policy makers, commissioners, managers, regulators, and other health stakeholders working on children's, young people's and maternal health.

This Department of Health leaflet provides advice on weaning babies on to solid food.

This Department of Health leaflet provides information that will help you to breastfeed your baby, learn how to express your milk and find help if you need it.

The Healthy Start scheme provides everyone who qualifies with vouchers which can be used to buy milk, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and infant formula. You can also get free vitamin supplements. The Healthy Start scheme replaces the Welfare Food Scheme which provided milk tokens.

The Department of Health's "Maternal and infant nutrition" page provides information and advice to mothers and young children.

Video about the new WHO Growth Charts, which were introduced during the 2009 National Breastfeeding Awareness Week (NBAW). The video is supported by the Department of Health, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and www.breastfeeding.nhs.uk.

Report from the West Midlands Obesity Conference which was held on Tuesday 18th March 2008 at the Paragon Hotel, Birmingham. The conference summary draws together the conference evaluation summary and feedback from the workshops. It also includes a number of resources from the workshops and mapping exercises that were undertaken as part of the day.

The purpose of this document is to increase PCTs’ awareness of the children’s centre agenda and the opportunities it provides, and to share examples of good practice.

Leaflet developed by The Breastfeeding Network describing how Thrush (Candida albicans) infection can affect a mother's breast while she is breastfeeding.

This is a report on the delivery of Healthy Weight, healthy Lives: A Cross-Government Strategy for England, published in January 2008. It sets out how we can continue to build a society that supports healthy weight through informing consumer choice; creating an environment that promotes healthy weight; providing quality services; and enabling the delivery system.

In December 2007, the Government made a commitment in the Children’s Plan to publish a child health strategy jointly between the Department of Health and the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Healthy lives, brighter futures: A strategy for children and young people’s health has been launched by Alan Johnson, Secretary of State for Health and Ed Balls, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families.
This joint DH/DCSF strategy presents the Government’s vision for children and young people’s health and wellbeing. It sets out how we will build on progress through: world-class outcomes; high quality services; excellent experience in using those services; and minimising health inequalities.

The following are A4 display posters downloadable from the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative website:

• The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding
• The Seven Point Plan for Sustaining Breastfeeding in the Community
• International Code on Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes

"Increasing breastfeeding prevalence" a presentation written by the Department of Health, Maternal and Child Health Department in October 2008.

The e-Newsletter contains details on the World Breastfeeding Week (1-8 August), Breast Buddy Regional Tour (13 – 15 October) and the launch of a new Breastfeeding DVD. There are details of the Change4Life campaign, an update on the folic acid and Vitamin D campaigns and news of new growth charts for children from birth to 4 years.

The website is intended to provide breastfeeding support and information for breastfeeding women and for those involved in their care. It also provides information about The Breastfeeding Network.

Update and news from the seven regional breastfeeding groups, including the West Midlands.

The document provides guidance on implementing UNICEF UK’s Seven Point Plan for the Protection, Promotion and Support of Breastfeeding in Community Health Care Settings which leads to the Baby Friendly accreditation.

Video produced by NHS Choices on Breast-feeding. Includes an expert gives advice on breastfeeding techniques, and describes the health benefits for mother and baby.

The Infant Feeding Survey has been conducted every five years since 1975 and captures a wealth of information about infant feeding practices in the United Kingdom. It helps to describe historical trends in infant feeding practice and identify opportunities for improved implementation of national policy.
The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) Subgroup on Maternal and Child Nutrition (SMCN) has reviewed the findings of the 2005 Infant Feeding Survey. It particularly welcomes the significant increases observed in breastfeeding initiation across the UK and a marked reduction in the proportion of infants given solid foods at an inappropriately young age.
This review recommends options to improve infant feeding practice and informs infant feeding policy. It also suggests areas for deeper exploration in future quinquennial surveys, particularly to take account of the national implementation of 'Healthy Start' in 2006 and to define its effects on practice.

The e-Newsletter contains details on the National Breastfeeding Awareness Week (11-17 May 2008), the release of the NICE guidelines on maternal nutrition (March 2008) and the development of a new breastfeeding DVD. Here is a summary of the key events and campaign activity and a look at future plans for the DH’s breastfeeding, weaning, folic acid and vitamin D campaigns.

A guide to implementing the Baby Friendly best practice standards for breastfeeding in maternity and community health care facilities.

This booklet aims to provide a practical, evidence-based resource for health professionals to help support good practice and innovation in breastfeeding initiation with a particular focus on reaching women from disadvantaged groups.

This cross-government strategy is the first step in a sustained programme to support people to maintain a healthy weight. It will be followed by a public annual report that assesses progress, looks at the latest evidence and trends, and makes recommendations for further action.

This guidance sets out suggestions for how local partners can develop their obesity plans, from understanding the scale of the problem in their communities, to setting local goals and choosing interventions where it is agreed that local action is required, right through to ensuring that progress is monitored and evaluated.

A survey conducted on behalf of The Information Centre for health and social care and the UK Health Departments by BMRB Social Research.

The aim of the North West Breastfeeding Framework for Action is to improve the health of mothers and children, particularly those from low socio-economic families and to contribute to reducing health inequalities by facilitating an increase in breastfeeding initiation and duration rates.

The Child Health Promotion Programme (CHPP) is the early intervention & prevention public health programme that lies at the heart of all universal service for children and families. This updated version has been produced to strenghten delivery in pregnancy and the first five years of life.

A review of the evidence on the effects of breastfeeding on short- and long-term infant and maternal health outcomes in developed countries.

The Baby Friendly Initiative is a worldwide programme of the World Health Organization and UNICEF. It was established in 1992 to encourage maternity hospitals to implement the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding and to practise in accordance with the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes.