Informal childcare cuts baby’s chances of being breastfed
June 24th, 2010 - 2:40 pm ICT by ANIWashington, June 24 (ANI): Babies who are looked after by relatives, friends, and neighbours while their mothers are at work, are less likely to be breastfed, reveals a new study.
The study, which included 18,050 infants, applies to both full time and part time care, and all strata of society. The aim was to find out if childcare arrangements and socio-economic factors had any impact on breastfeeding rates and whether the infants had been breastfed for at least four months, which was the WHO recommended minimum until 2003.
The results showed that, while babies in formal childcare - nursery, crèche, childcare centre or registered childminder, were around 15percent less likely to be breastfed, the cut was 50percent for those in informal childcare.
By contrast, lone mothers were 65percent more likely to breastfeed an infant provided with formal childcare.
“It is likely that for many mothers, it is not childcare use in isolation that influences the decision to breastfeed, but a chain of antenatal decisions about infant feeding, childcare and employment,” comment the authors.
But the fact that informal childcare had the strongest impact on breastfeeding irrespective of social and economic factors prompts them to conclude that UK breastfeeding campaigns should target everyone, not just those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The research was published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. (ANI)
- Babies insufficiently breastfed, finds study - May 02, 2011
- Mothers who don't breastfeed more likely to develop diabetes - Aug 27, 2010
- Moms who don't breastfeed at risk of diabetes - Aug 29, 2010
- A quiet revolution saving rural children's lives (Aug 1-7 is World Breastfeeding Week) - Jul 31, 2011
- Extended breast-feeding keeps mental ill-health at bay - Jan 18, 2010
- Surgeon General advises more breastfeeding - Jan 24, 2011
- World Health Organization calls on health facilities to implement steps to help mothers breastfeed - Jul 30, 2010
- Chinese women unaware of breastfeeding norms - Aug 07, 2010
- Babies breastfed for six months ward off infections - Sep 28, 2010
- Women unaware of breastfeeding norms in China - Aug 08, 2010
- Teen who were breastfed at birth have stronger leg muscles - Jan 06, 2011
- Breastfeeding linked to stronger maternal response to infant's cry - Apr 21, 2011
- Study reveals that there are less behavior problems for breast fed babies - May 11, 2011
- Breastfeeding mechanics revealed - May 13, 2010
- Breastfeeding 'can reduce long-term risk of chronic disease' - Jul 27, 2010
Tags: archives of disease in childhood, babies, breastfeeding rates, campaigns, childcare arrangements, childcare centre, cr, disadvantaged backgrounds, economic factors, four months, friends and neighbours, infant feeding, isolation, june 24, lone mothers, many mothers, part time, relatives, strata, time care