Breast Feeding Success and Failure

Better educated mothers, those in two parent families and older mothers were more likely to succeed, as were those who received encouragement from family, professional and lay support groups.

Abstract

Starling, J., Fergusson, D. M., Horwood, L. J. and Taylor, B. (1979). Aust. Paediatr. J., 15, 271–274. Breast feeding success and failure. The factors influencing the success or failure of breast feeding were assessed in 1121 mothers. Of the 81% who intended to breast feed, 52% failed to achieve their desired duration. Over three quarters of the failures occurred in the first 3 months of life, and the major explanation given for failure was inadequate lactation. Among the factors associated with failure to achieve breast feeding intentions were complementary feeding in the maternity hospital and limited mother/child contact in the first few days after birth. Better educated mothers, those in two parent families and older mothers were more likely to succeed, as were those who received encouragement from family, professional and lay support groups. Factors that showed no relation to success or failure were mother/child contact at birth, antenatal education, maternal race, and parity or discouragement from any source.