by Moira Holden
Theo Walcott's mum claims his talent and speed on the football pitch are down to being breastfed when he was a baby.
The teenage England star is supporting a new DVD aimed at encouraging mums to breastfeed their babies.
Mum Lynn, 46, is a midwife and says: 'I always like to claim that Theo's speed, coordination and eyesight and all those things are down to being breastfed. I like to think it has set him up for life.'
The teenage England ace, who scored a hat-trick against Croatia in September, said: 'I have always been healthy and my mum says it is down to the breastfeeding. And she is always telling me that one of the reasons I'm such a good footballer is because I was breastfed.'
Britain has the worst breastfeeding rate in Europe – less than a quarter are still breastfeeding their babies after six months.
This contrasts badly with other parts of Europe, particularly Scandinavia, where the majority of mums breastfeed. In Norway, 80 percent of mums are still breastfeeding their babies after six months.
Now a new campaign fronted by charity Best Beginnings has been launched to persuade mums to breastfeed.
The DVD, From Bump to Breastfeeding, offers support to mums using real-life stories. It will be given to 600,000 mums.
One of the mums featured is Theo's sister, Hollie, 24, who has two children. 'I am very proud of my sister for taking part,' he said.
Studies have shown that breastfeeding can cut the risk of cancer. Breast milk boosts a baby's immune system and cuts down the risk of allergies.
Alison Baum of Best Beginnings, said: 'The reality is that for most young women, especially those from a socially disadvantaged backgrounds, bottle feeding is still the norm.
'We want to kickstart a shift away from this bottle-feeding culture and give women the confidence to breastfeed and seek that help if they need it.'
