Irish mothers are much less likely to breastfeed their babies compared to mothers of other nationalities who give birth here, a new study has found.

The findings also reveal that many Irish mums who do attempt breastfeeding give up within just two days.

The study, which was carried out by researchers from Trinity College Dublin (TCD), found that only 56% of Irish mothers attempt breastfeeding. However, just 48 hours later, this figure drops to 42%.

Two weeks later, one-third of mothers have given up and by the time their babies are six or seven months old, only 2.4% of mothers are still exclusively breastfeeding - that is just one in 40 mothers.

The study also found that women of other nationalities who give birth here are much more likely to breastfeed. While 56% of Irish women begin breastfeeding, this figure reaches 64% among women from the UK and 80% among women from Poland.

The study also noted that women in their early 40s are more likely to still be exclusively breastfeeding when their baby is aged three or four months, compared to younger mothers.

Research has shown that children who are not breastfed are more likely to develop a range of illnesses and conditions, including ear infections, throat infections, chest infections, asthma, diabetes and obesity.

The team from TCD suggested that the country's national breastfeeding promotion strategy has had little impact on breastfeeding rates, and question its overall effectiveness.

Over 2,500 mothers attending maternity units nationwide were surveyed as part of the study.

Details of these findings are published in the Irish Journal of Medical Science.