The relationship between maternal work patterns and infant feeding practices in Jamaican female headed households

Findings from a one-year longitudinal study of 109 Jamaican women and their infants are reported. The study was designed to examine the relationship b etween maternal work patterns and infant feeding practices during the infan ts' first year. All women had at least one other preschool child, and ident ified themselves as having primary responsibility for economic maintenance of their household. The majority of women worked outside the home for incom e during at least part of the study period. However, infant feeding practic es were found to be remarkably similar between employed and non-employed mo thers. Mixed feeding was initiated early, but over half of all infants were still being breastfed at the end of the year, and longer duration of breas tfeeding was protective against growth faltering. The main risk factors for growth faltering were lack of steady employment, a large number of depende nt children and a lack of other sources of maternal support.