Do maternal grandmothers influence breastfeeding duration and infant nutrition? Evidence from Merida, Mexico

Abstract

Objectives: Breast-feeding is sensitive to somatic, hormonal, behavioral and psychological components of maternal capital. However, through grandmothering, older women may also influence breast-feeding by transferring informational resources to their daughters. We hypothesized that mothers with prolonged instrumental support from their own mother are more likely to have received advice and to have favorable attitudes/practices regarding breastfeeding, compared to those lacking such support, with implications for the grandchild's somatic capital. Methods:We recruited 90 mother-infant dyads (52 with grandmaternal support, 38 without) in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. All children were first-borns, aged $2 years.Anthropometry and body composition were assessed. Data on grandmother's breastfeeding advice and maternal breastfeeding duration were obtained by questionnaire. Maternal attitudes to breast-feeding were assessed using the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale.Results: Women with instrumental support were more likely to have received grandmaternal advice during pregnancy/infancy on exclusive breast-feeding duration (60% vs. 37%, p = 0.033) and the type of first complementary food (81% vs. 47%, p = 0.001). However, women with support had a less favorable attitude to breastfeeding than those without and breastfed their children for less time (median 5 vs. 10.5 months, p = 0.01). No group differences were found in children's length, weight, skinfolds or lean mass z-score.Discussion: Although grandmothers providing instrumental support provided advice regarding breastfeeding, their attitudes may reflect issues beyond nutritional health.Advice of maternal grandmothers did not promote extended breastfeeding, however the differences in breastfeeding attitudes were not associated with the children's Federico Dickinson and Jonathan C. K. Wells are joint senior authors.

Factors Affecting Thai Fathers’ Self-Efficacy to Support Exclusive Breastfeeding

“…Indeed, previous studies conducted in Papua New Guinea, Guatemala, and Mexico have reported that grandmothers negatively influenced breastfeeding duration and exclusivity, which may provide some explanation for the current study's findings [36][37][38]. Grandmothers' attitudes towards and understanding of breastfeeding may present problems beyond nutritional health due to a lack of knowledge about current evidence-based breastfeeding practices, such as the early introduction of complementary foods to infants less than six months old [36,38].…”

Effects of household composition on infant feeding and mother–infant health in northern Kenya

“…They may also be due in part to who alloparents are. The effects of allocare by knowledgeable and experienced adults (e.g., grandmothers) may be different from those by less experienced individuals such as infant's siblings (Deang et al, 1988; Sear et al, 2000; Vázquez‐Vázquez et al, 2021; Vázquez‐Vázquez et al, 2022). While the existing literature is limited, studies have suggested that siblings can act as alloparents, aiding with infant care unless they are too young themselves to care for others (Helfrecht & Meehan, 2016; Kramer et al, 2016).…”