QUESTION: What difficulties lead mothers early abandoning exclusive breastfeeding despite WHO and UNICEF recomanded breastfeeding to at least six months postpartum as best practice for mothers and babies? AIM: This paper reviews the qualitative research literature about difficulties mothers may experience in setting up and maintaining breastfeeding until their babies are six months old. METHOD: An online qualitative literature search was conducted in Pubmed, Embase and CINHAL database. The search strategy included the following keywords: breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding, difficulties/problems, qualitative article/research. Studies not exclusively qualitative, meta-synthesis and reviews were excluded. RESULTS: From the 1990-2010 search, in twenty-two articles, four themes emerged about mothers’ difficulties in breastfeeding: • personal difficulties (demographic, biophysical and psychological factors); • social difficulties (marital status and income level; coming back to work; social context; social and familiar support; father’s involvement in neonatal care); • cultural difficulties (presence of a “breastfeeding culture”; woman’s body perception; maternal or breastfeeding stereotypes); • healthcare difficulties (organization of health services during pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period; healthcare professional support). CONCLUSION: The duration of exclusive breastfeeding to at least six months postpartum is influenced by many personal, social, cultural factors and by socio-sanitary maternity services. It is clear from women’s accounts that all these aspects cannot be reduced to single factors acting in isolation; many of them tend to be experienced in combination. So, only their mutual influence can enlighten women’s experiences during breastfeeding difficulties. Healthcare professionals can use the study findings to better identify mothers who risk early breastfeeding cessation and to better design future professional interventions; social and political institutions can use the review results in order to guarantee social and structural conditions to breastfeeding mothers by reducing those barriers who prevent them to exclusively breastfeeding their babies for the first six months of life.

Mother's difficulties in breastfeeding: a review of qualitative studies / E. Trussardi, V.F. Zobbi, P.A. Mauri. - Università degli Studi di Milano : Università degli Studi di Milano, 2010.

Mother's difficulties in breastfeeding: a review of qualitative studies

V.F. Zobbi
Secondo
;
P.A. Mauri
Ultimo
2010

Abstract

QUESTION: What difficulties lead mothers early abandoning exclusive breastfeeding despite WHO and UNICEF recomanded breastfeeding to at least six months postpartum as best practice for mothers and babies? AIM: This paper reviews the qualitative research literature about difficulties mothers may experience in setting up and maintaining breastfeeding until their babies are six months old. METHOD: An online qualitative literature search was conducted in Pubmed, Embase and CINHAL database. The search strategy included the following keywords: breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding, difficulties/problems, qualitative article/research. Studies not exclusively qualitative, meta-synthesis and reviews were excluded. RESULTS: From the 1990-2010 search, in twenty-two articles, four themes emerged about mothers’ difficulties in breastfeeding: • personal difficulties (demographic, biophysical and psychological factors); • social difficulties (marital status and income level; coming back to work; social context; social and familiar support; father’s involvement in neonatal care); • cultural difficulties (presence of a “breastfeeding culture”; woman’s body perception; maternal or breastfeeding stereotypes); • healthcare difficulties (organization of health services during pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period; healthcare professional support). CONCLUSION: The duration of exclusive breastfeeding to at least six months postpartum is influenced by many personal, social, cultural factors and by socio-sanitary maternity services. It is clear from women’s accounts that all these aspects cannot be reduced to single factors acting in isolation; many of them tend to be experienced in combination. So, only their mutual influence can enlighten women’s experiences during breastfeeding difficulties. Healthcare professionals can use the study findings to better identify mothers who risk early breastfeeding cessation and to better design future professional interventions; social and political institutions can use the review results in order to guarantee social and structural conditions to breastfeeding mothers by reducing those barriers who prevent them to exclusively breastfeeding their babies for the first six months of life.
2010
breastfeeding ; qualitative research
Settore MED/47 - Scienze Infermieristiche Ostetrico-Ginecologiche
Working Paper
Mother's difficulties in breastfeeding: a review of qualitative studies / E. Trussardi, V.F. Zobbi, P.A. Mauri. - Università degli Studi di Milano : Università degli Studi di Milano, 2010.
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/148415
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