Major factors influencing breastfeeding rates: Mother's perception of father's attitude and milk supply

Objective. To determine factors influencing feeding decisions, breastfeedin g and/or bottle initiation rates, as well as breastfeeding duration. Setting. A family medicine practice of a 530-bed community-based hospital i n northwestern Pennsylvania. Participants. All mothers whose infants received well-child care from birth to 1 year of age. Outcome Measure. A survey of 28 simple questions was developed and mailed t o 245 mothers. The survey assessed: 1) demographics, 2) prenatal and postna tal care, 3) sources of breastfeeding information, 4) timing of decision, 5 ) preference, 6) type of feeding selected, 7) duration of breastfeeding, 8) factors influencing decisions to breastfeed and/or to bottle-feed, and 9) factors that would have encouraged bottle-feeding mothers to breastfeed. Results. The breastfeeding initiation rate was 44.3%. By the time the infan t was 5 months old, only 13% of these were still breastfeeding. The decisio n to breastfeed or to bottle-feed was most often made before pregnancy or d uring the first trimester. The most common reasons mothers chose breastfeed ing included: 1) benefits the infant's health, 2) naturalness, and 3) emoti onal bonding with the infant. The most common reasons bottle-feeding was ch osen included: 1) mother's perception of father's attitude, 2) uncertainty regarding the quantity of breast milk, and 3) return to work. By self-repor t, factors that would have encouraged bottle-feeding mothers to breastfeed included: 1) more information in prenatal class; 2) more information from T V, magazines, and books; and 3) family support. Conclusions. To overcome obstacles, issues surrounding perceived barriers, such as father's attitude, quantity of milk, and time constraints, need to be discussed with each parent. To achieve the goal of 75% of breastfeeding mothers, extensive education regarding the benefits must be provided for bo th parents and optimally the grandmother by physicians, nurses, and the med ia before pregnancy or within the first trimester.