Breastfeeding rates hit 10-year low in Windsor-Essex amid rising food insecurity

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A growing food insecurity crisis in Windsor-Essex is putting the region’s youngest and most vulnerable residents at risk.

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU) warns that period from pregnancy to about 18 months of age is especially important for a child’s physical health, brain development, and emotional well-being.

However, increasing food insecurity among new families can potentially lead to the risk of poor birth outcomes, weakened immune systems, cognitive development delays, and strained parent-child relationships.

The health unit states that breastfeeding in Windsor-Essex is at a 10-year low, and remains below the provincial average, contributing to significant health disparities for infants.

Exclusive breastfeeding before hospital discharge dropped from 61.2 per cent in 2012 to 35.7 per cent in 2024 — well below the provincial average of 46.8 per cent. Barriers to accessing infant formula have also increased food insecurity.

In 2026, the health unit will begin a four-year strategy with an aim to reduce the impact of food insecurity. Some of the strategies include expanding food insecurity screening among healthcare providers, improving access to breastfeeding education, minimizing barriers to accessing infant formula, among others.

“At discharge from hospital, or three days postpartum from the midwifery practice, that’s the rate that they’re looking at. It’s something that has been an ongoing issue in Windsor-Essex, and something we are continuing to address,” said Jennifer Jacob, registered dietitian and public health nutritionist.

“We’re hoping to lend more energy to it this year considering that food insecurity has become a priority. And breastfeeding, we know, is the most effective way to ensure food insecurity at the population level.”

When it comes to barriers, Jacob says the health unit is working to reduce them.

“Lactation consultant support, that’s free of charge, is very limited in Windsor-Essex currently, we’re hoping to close that gap. I think there’s also important work that we can establish with hospitals to ensure that we are doing everything we can for those who wish to breastfeed, typically those who are low income and they have barriers to accessing infant formula, that they have every support put in place,” said Jacob.

In addition to incorporating the cost of infant feeding into annual food cost surveillance, the WECHU has re-launched the Infant Feeding Survey.

Moving forward, the survey will be sent to all consenting mothers seven months after birth and will provide information about the rates of food insecurity and disparities in breastfeeding rates across several demographics.