Fewer than one in a hundred new mothers follows government advice and feeds their baby on breast milk alone for the first six months, according to new figures.

Although 76 per cent of mothers start out breast-feeding, up 7 per cent from 2000, the figures show that most soon give up.

By six weeks, only a fifth (21 per cent) are still breast-feeding exclusively, and more than half (51 per cent) have given up altogether.

The figures were published in the 2005 Infant Feeding Survey, which has been carried out every five years since 1975.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said that the Government was not considering changing the law to make it illegal to stop women breast-feeding in public.

Campaigners say that many women feel uncomfortable breast-feeding in public and some have been told to stop by the police. Scotland has recently changed the law to made it an offence to prevent a mother breast-feeding in public.

Professor Denise Lievesley, from the Information Centre, said: “Overall, it is encouraging to see that more mothers than ever before are starting out breast-feeding their babies and, while there is a sharp drop-off, more are continuing to breast-feed for longer.”

The figures were released on the first day of National Breast-feeding Week.

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