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divdiv class=story-body readability=29 span class=story-date#13; span class=date11 November 2013/span#13;span class=time-textLast updated at /spanspan class=time19:41 ET/span#13; #13;/span#13;#13; #13;#13;#13; #13; #13; span class=byline span class=byline-nameBy Nick Triggle/span span class=byline-titleHealth correspondent, BBC News/span /span #13; #13; p class=introduction id=story_continues_1New mothers are to be offered up to £200 in shopping vouchers to encourage them to breastfeed their babies./p#13; pThe pilot scheme is being targeted at deprived areas of South Yorkshire and Derbyshire and funded through a collaboration between government and the medical research sector./p#13; pA third area is expected soon with the plan to trial it on 130 women who have babies from now until March./p#13; pIf it proves successful, a nationwide pilot could be rolled out next year./p#13; pThe use of financial incentives is not new in the NHS./p#13; pIt has been tried before to encourage people to quit smoking as well as lose weight./p#13; span class=cross-headCulture/span#13; pBut this is the first time it has been tried on such a scale for breastfeeding./p#13; pUnder the scheme mothers from specific parts of Sheffield and Chesterfield will be offered the vouchers, which they can then use in supermarkets and high street shops./p#13; pThe areas have been chosen because they have such low breastfeeding rates. On average just one in four mothers are breastfeeding by the six- to eight-week mark compared with a national average of 55%./p#13; div class=story-feature narrow#13; a class=hidden href=#story_continues_2Continue reading the main story/a h2 class=quote“spanStart Quote/span/h2#13;blockquote readability=1p class=first-childThe motive for breastfeeding cannot be rooted by offering financial reward”/p/blockquote#13;span class=endquoteEnd Quote/span#13; span class=quote-creditJanet Fyle/span#13; span class=quote-credit-titleRoyal College of Midwives/span#13;#13; /div p id=story_continues_2To qualify for the full £200 of rewards, the women will have to breastfeed until six months./p#13; pHowever, it will be frontloaded enabling those taking part to get £120 for breastfeeding for the first six weeks./p#13; pMidwives and health visitors will be asked to verify whether the women are breastfeeding./p#13; pThe team behind the project said breastfeeding was a cause of health inequalities, pointing to research that showed it helped prevent health problems such as upset stomachs and chest infections as well as leading to better educational attainment./p#13; pDr Clare Relton, the Sheffield University expert leading the project, said she hoped the financial incentives would create a culture where breastfeeding was seen as the norm./p#13; pIt is a way of acknowledging both the value of breastfeeding to babies, mothers and society, she added./p#13; pBut Janet Fyle, of the Royal College of Midwives, questioned the initiative./p#13; pThe motive for breastfeeding cannot be rooted by offering financial reward. It has to be something that a mother wants to do in the interest of the health and well-being of her child./p#13; pShe said the answer lay in making sure there were enough staff available to provide comprehensive support to new mothers after birth./p#13; /div/divbrbrcentera href=http://www.wizardrss.comPowered By WizardRSS.com/a | a href=http://www.wizardrss.comFull Text RSS Feed/a | a href=http://www.amazon.com/RFID-Blocking-Cards-Identity-Protector/dp/B00CJHZLEWRFID/a | a href=http://www.wpzonbuilder.comAmazon Affiliate/a/center