A structured questionnaire was devised in order to ascertain infant feeding practices. Multi‐lingual interviewers visited the homes of 127 Caucasian and 184 Asian families with infants aged 6–24 months, in inner‐city Leeds. The Asian families interviewed were from four‐defined communities; Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, Punjabis and Gujaratis.
When compared with asian mothers, Caucasian mothers were more likely to breast‐feed, and demonstrated a more positive approach to their chosen feeding pattern whether breast or bottle. Few differences in feeding practices were noted between the distinct Asian groups despite inter‐group variations in English language ability, family size and duration of residence in Britain. Most of the Asian infants were still drinking from a feeding bottle at the age of 2 years, and two‐thirds of the milk feeds were sweetened. In contrast, the majority of white Caucasian infants were no longer using a feeding bottle at 12 months of age, although one‐third drank milk swetened, The mothers interviewed claimed that health professionals had advised them to add items to the milk, and to use vitamin fruit juices.
The feeding practices reported have clear implications for dental health, particularly among the Asain children. There is an urgent need for effective health education initiatives by health advisers based on a thorough evaluation of cultural differences in attitudes and practices
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