INFACT Canada Fall 1996 NewsletterAbstracts

Nurses' Attitudes and Behaviours that Promote Breastfeeding

his descriptive correlational study was designed to determine the attitudes and behaviours of obstetrical nurses surrounding breastfeeding and early lactation. Of the 230 anonymous responses received from a voluntary questionnaire, sixty-four percent of the nurses would recommend and actively encourage breastfeeding. Barriers for nurses in assisting mothers to breastfeed include; shortened length of hospital stay, lack of knowledge, as well as personal breastfeeding experience. It was apparent that nurses saw breastfeeding as too time consuming. To further encourage breastfeeding, nurses need support and continuing education to identify personal bias and knowledge deficits.

Rethinking Current Recommendations to Introduce Solid Food Between Four and Six Months to Exclusively Breastfeeding Infants

urrent guidelines from the World Health Organization and UNICEF regarding weaning and introduction of solid food recommend that the appropriate age is between four and six months, and no later than six months, with the gradual introduction of solid food. However, studies examined in this article indicate that voluntary exclusive breastfeeding for about nine months is feasible and can sustain adequate weight gain and iron status in infants. Previous studies have suggested insufficiency of breast milk volume after four to six months. This is likely due to management errors such as introducing supplements and spacing nursing at wide intervals; both of which reduce milk yield. Therefore in developed countries women who wish to exclusively breastfeed beyond four to six months should not be discouraged. Furthermore, health authorities and non-governmental organisations in developing countries, should actively endorse exclusive breastfeeding for eight to nine months to protect infants against malnutrition and infections, and to promote maximum birth spacing.

The Copenhagen Cohort Study on Infant Nutrition and Growth: breast-milk intake, human milk macronutrient content, and influencing factors

n this cohort study of 91 healthy term infants, breast-milk intake was measured at 2, 4, and 9 months by test weighing. Human milk macronutrient content was measured by infrared analysis every 2-4 weeks. In infants exclusively breastfed, mean milk intake was 781 and 855 ml/24 hours at 2 and 4 months, respectively. This correlated positively with the current weight of the infant and negatively with the amount of formula supplement given at the maternity ward. This supports the hypothesis that maternal fat stores laid down during pregnancy are easier to mobilize during lactation than are other fat stores. The authors speculate that if these lactational milk stores are exhausted, milk fat may decrease.

The Effect of a Woman's Significant Other on her Breastfeeding Decision

his study of 133 randomly selected pregnant woman and their significant others, examines the impact of the significant other's infant feeding preferences and beliefs on a pregnant woman's intention to breastfeed, her initiation and successful initiation (longer than seven days) of breastfeeding. In the study the "significant other" is defined as the person who's opinion regarding feeding "matters the most" to the pregnant woman. The population was heterogeneous with respect to age, education, and marital status. Results indicate that a woman's intention to breastfeed is strongly and positively affected by the significant other's infant feeding preferences.

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