Breastfeeding practice in Kuwait: determinants of success and reasons for failure

Abstract

To explore the possible determinants of duration of breastfeeding in Kuwait, 234 mothers completed a questionnaire concerning the feeding of their youngest infant. The questionnaire addressed the factors that contributed to their willingness to continue breastfeeding and enquired about the factors leading to their decision to end it. Only 26.5% of the mothers had continued breastfeeding for 6 months or more. Separate family housing, higher maternal age, late initiation of breastfeeding, being employed without the feasibility to breastfeed at work, breastfeeding information given after rather than before birth, and maternal and infant sickness were all significant contributors influencing early cessation. Father's support was a significant factor that encouraged the practice. In conclusion, preventive strategies are recommended for boosting breastfeeding, with special emphasis on the factors linked to early cessation, aiming at full implementation of the WHO global public health recommendations for successful breastfeeding in Kuwait.

Predictors of Continued Breastfeeding at One Year among Women Attending Primary Healthcare Centers in Qatar: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…These questions were adapted from previous studies conducted in Saudi Arabia and Iran [9,10,17,19,20]. The second section covered breastfeeding knowledge, attitude, and practice.…”

“…Barriers arising from social norms are also documented in the literature: some mothers subscribe to the norm “bigger is better,” which means fat babies are healthier. This leads them to use bottled milk and introduce solid food earlier than recommended [9,11,17]. …”

“…Women rely on support and advice from their mothers and grandmothers, who may provide practical support to continue breastfeeding for up to two years. Research has reported that support from a spouse was also positively associated with longer duration of breastfeeding [17,18]. With regards to professional support, healthcare professionals can also provide a vital role for breastfeeding mothers.…”

Expression of Breast Milk as the Way of Maintenance of Lactation

“…Перспектива успешного длительного ГВ воз-можна при условии нормального физического строения соска у матери (размер, форма, структура), отсутствия заболеваний молочной железы, а ребенок при этом достаточно активен и здоров. Такой маме для успешного ГВ в дальнейшем нужны только моральная поддержка родных (в частности, отца ребенка) и близких, советы консультантов по ГВ [11][12][13][14], а также создание условий для кормящих матерей в общественных местах.…”

“…Сцеживание требуется в период сильного послеродо-вого прилива молока, сопровождающегося нагрубанием молочных желез (обычно 3-4-е сут после родов), а так-же при рождении маловесных и недоношенных детей, которым жизненно необходимо питание материнским молоком [14][15][16]. При сильном нагрубании ареолярной зоны важно сцедить немного молока до снятия напря-женности в этой области, что даст ребенку возмож-ность правильно захватить грудь с ареолой, не повре-див соска.…”