The NHS chat bot will offer round-the-clock breastfeeding help
The NHS has launched a chat bot to help breastfeeding mums after a survey found fewer than half of new mums breastfed their babies beyond the first two months.
Public Health England (PHE) surveyed 500 mums and found that while 73% breastfeed as soon as their babies are born, only 44% are still breastfeeding six to eight wees later.
That's where the chat bot comes in. Start4Life, the NHS's information service for new mums, hopes its newly-launched Breastfeeding Friend (or BFF) will provide support and answers to any breastfeeding questions mums may have.
Viv Bennett, chief nurse at PHE, told the Huffington Post that "Breastfeeding, while natural, is something that all mums and their babies learn by doing. Mums tell us that after the first few weeks, breastfeeding becomes easier so proper support is crucial at this time, which is where our BFF is designed to help."
The PHE survey found that three in 10 mums thought their baby might not get the right nutrients from breasfeeding, and more than half were worried about not being able to tell if their baby was getting the right amount of milk.
The bot, which is accessed through Facebook Messenger, is designed to answer these kinds of questions at any time of the day or night.
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