Prevalence and duration of breast-feeding in Manitoba
Clark, L.L.; Beal, V.A.
Canadian Medical Association Journal 126(10): 1173-1175
1982
ISSN/ISBN: 0008-4409 PMID: 7074439 Document Number: 185042
A questionnaire was completed by women who gave birth in October 1977 to March 1978 in 4 hospitals in or near Winnipeg, Canada. They were seen again when the infant was 1, 2 and 3 months old. Complete data were obtained for 421 women and 423 infants. Incidence of breast feeding was higher at the 2 hospitals that encouraged mother and infant to remain in the same room, 62% and 71%, than in the other 2 hospitals, 49% and 58%; those differences were significant. Women who breast fed considered that the obstetricians differed in the degree of encouragement they gave to breast feeding but that there was no difference between hospitals in the degree of encouragement from their general medical practitioners, paediatricians, hospital nurses, prenatal-class instructors or public health nurses. There was less encouragement from health care workers than from the other professionals. Incidence of breast feeding increased with the mother's age, education, attendance at prenatal classes and socioeconomic status. It was higher in small towns or on farms than in other rural places or in the city. It was higher for first infants and for women whose previous experience of breast feeding had not been unpleasant. Method of feeding was not related significantly to infant's sex or birthweight, to mother's bodyweight/height or to the father's attendance at prenatal classes. At 1 month old 45%, at 2 months 35% and at 3 months 28% of the infants were being breast fed.