Breastfeeding and Adolescents

Psychometric Testing of the Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form Among Adolescents

“…These results also support the findings of a Cochrane systematic review that showed that antenatal breastfeeding education had a significant effect on increasing initiation rates as compared with routine care [38]. Finally, adolescents who were breast-fed themselves had higher breast-feeding selfefficacy postnatally than those who were not, and this has been found to be consistent with previous research with both adolescent and adult mothers [19,39].…”

“…Most adolescents in this study were Ն16 years and previous research suggests that older adolescents are more likely to choose to breast-feed than younger adolescents [39]. It is hypothesized that developmental maturation might be an important key to choosing breast-feeding and one has to grow beyond self-centered focus to an other-centered focused to consider breast-feeding [39]. Despite these limitations, the findings suggest that the BSES-SF may be a reliable and valid measure of breast-feeding self-efficacy among adolescents, and be predictive of breast-feeding initiation, duration, and exclusivity.…”

“…Furthermore, there was little variance in the maternal age and education level variables in this sample. Most adolescents in this study were Ն16 years and previous research suggests that older adolescents are more likely to choose to breast-feed than younger adolescents [39]. It is hypothesized that developmental maturation might be an important key to choosing breast-feeding and one has to grow beyond self-centered focus to an other-centered focused to consider breast-feeding [39].…”

When Breastfeeding May Be a Threat to Adolescent Mothers

“…In a review of the breastfeeding literature published between 1980 and 1999, Wambach and Cole (2000) found that between 9.5% and 58% of adolescents initiated breastfeeding compared to between 45% and 70% of adult mothers. Fewer of the adolescent mothers (9.1%) than the adult mothers (between 15% and 34%) continued to breastfeed for six months.…”

“…Breastfeeding duration is a measure of success, whereas initiation is a measure of the start of breastfeeding. The rate of breastfeeding success is typically lower than the rate of breastfeeding initiation (Hannon et al, 2000;Wambach & Cole, 2000). Exclusive breastfeeding means that infants consume human milk with no other food or water supplements (Gartner, Eidelman, & The American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Breastfeeding, 2005).…”