Young
Moms need Encouragement to Nurse
Young Moms need Encouragement to Nurse
 Despite the fact that many health professionals promote breastfeeding as the best feeding method for infants, the majority of mothers - particularly young mothers - participating in federal nutrition programs never breastfeed. Delores James from the University of Florida and Ranjita Misra from Truman State University in Missouri surveyed about 30,000 new mothers - most of whom participated in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children. Their result were published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. At the time of the study, less than 20 percent of young mothers were breastfeeding, while 68 percent of adult mothers were nursing their babies. The researchers also found that about 75 percent of young mothers said they had never breastfed or breastfed for only a week, while about 65 percent of adult mothers had never breastfed, or nursed for only the first week. The vast majority - 95 percent - of all mothers who participate in federal nutrition programs start using formula for some feedings by the second week after delivery, the researchers found. The researchers suggest four ways to encourage more mothers to continue breastfeeding: Educate more future mothers, fathers and grandfathers about breastfeeding even before conception; encourage all pregnant moms to seek health care as early as possible in their pregnancies; use school-based prenatal education programs to promote breastfeeding and develop breastfeeding materials specifically for young mothers. Mothers in the study who were more educated, started medical care in the first trimester, were in their upper teens and were unmarried, were more likely to continue breastfeeding. A new mother may be encouraged to use formula, because free formula samples are often provided during her baby's first year of life, the researchers note. Other studies of have found that women who receive free formula samples and marketing materials early on in their pregnancies (namely while at their doctors' offices for prenatal visits) are five times more likely to quit breastfeeding early on than women who never receive free formula samples. Read more about that study here. Source: Journal of American Dietetic Association 2000;100:1701-1073 |
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