Almost four in 10 new Dutch mothers are still breastfeeding their children after six months, double the rate in 2010, according to research by the TNO institute.

The increase is likely to be due to better facilities and better information about the benefits of breastfeeding, the institute says.  Three-quarters of the 1,700 women questioned in the survey said they breastfed their children because it was healthier. The most common reason for stopping was lack of milk, followed by pain.

Eight in 10 new babies are breastfed at birth, but the rate is higher (90%) among mothers with a university or college degree.