Abstract
Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is the most efficacious form of infant feeding and nutrition. Hispanic mothers in the US are more likely than mothers of other racial/ethnic groups to supplement with formula in the first 2 days of life. The purpose of this study was to explore infant feeding intentions during the prenatal period as a predictor of EBF at postpartum discharge in a sample of Hispanic women (n = 99). At discharge, 51 % of the women were EBF, 44 % were breastfeeding and supplementing with formula, and 5 % were feeding only formula. Intention to breastfeed was found to be a strong and potentially modifiable predictor of breastfeeding behavior, showing a significant association with EBF upon discharge from the hospital after birth when linked with acceptance of pregnancy and method of delivery. Prenatal care offers a unique opportunity to enhance intentions to breastfeed that may lead to improved EBF in this health vulnerable population.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1192-1198 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health |
| Volume | 17 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Aug 23 2015 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2014, Springer Science+Business Media New York.
Keywords
- Breastfeeding
- Exclusive breastfeeding
- Hispanic
- Intention to breastfeed
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Epidemiology
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
