Paid maternity leave extension and exclusive breastfeeding practice: evidence from Brunei

Abstract

BackgroundExclusive breastfeeding (EBF) of infants in their first 6 months postpartum is beneficial. However, maternal employment and short maternity leave impede EBF practice. In 2011, Brunei implemented a new Maternity Leave Regulation to extend paid maternity leave.ObjectivesTo compare the prevalence of EBF between employed and nonworking mothers in Brunei, before and after extending paid maternity leave, to determine its effect on EBF and to determine the effects of maternal and infant sociodemographic characteristics.MethodsCross-sectional review of feeding records for infants born in 2010 (n = 6412, 85.5% all live births) and 2013 (n = 6680, 85.7%).ResultsEBF prevalence at 6 months postpartum increased from 29% in 2010 to 41% in 2013. EBF prevalence was higher among multiparous mothers (P< 0.001), mothers of Malay ethnicity (P< 0.05), and mothers of girls (P< 0.01 only in 2013) in both years. EBF prevalence among government-employed mothers (81.0%, 67.7%, and 57.8%) was greater than it was among nonworking mothers (79.1%, 66.3%, and 56.9%) by 1.9, 1.4, and 0.9 percentage points, respectively, during the first 3 months of active paid maternity leave in 2013. Mothers employed in the government and private sectors showed greater increases in the practice of EBF (15.5 and 10.8 percentage points respectively) than nonworking mothers (8.8 percentage points) from 2010 to 2013.ConclusionsEBF prevalence increased after extending paid maternity leave, with the greatest increases seen among employed mothers. Maternal ethnicity, parity, and the sex of the infant were also correlated with EBF.

The financing need for expanded maternity protection in Indonesia

“…This, in turn, may help to avert some of the associated premature child mortality and cognitive losses [5, 40, 41]. A potential impact of an insufficient length of paid maternity leave is that it limits the possibility of providing breastfeeding according to recommendation [3, 5, 42]. If the paid maternity leave policy is implemented optimally and increased to 6 months of leave, the number of deaths averted may be large.…”

Initiation and maintenance of breastfeeding: the need for essential support

“…Alhaji et al have reported in this issue a study of the outcomes of paid maternity leave on the maintenance of exclusive breastfeeding in Brunei [11]. Implementing a new maternity leave regulation to extend paid maternity leave in Brunei (effective January 2011) moderately increased exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months of infant age by 12 percentage points, from 29% in 2010 to 41% in 2013.…”

“…Implementing a new maternity leave regulation to extend paid maternity leave in Brunei (effective January 2011) moderately increased exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months of infant age by 12 percentage points, from 29% in 2010 to 41% in 2013. The increase was seen in both mothers employed by the government and those employed in the private sector [11]. However, paid maternity leave alone is not sufficient to effect change in exclusive breastfeeding practice, particularly for primiparous mothers, mothers with male infants, and other subgroups such as those with sore nipples and erroneous perception of inadequate milk supply and therefore not meeting the needs of their infants [12,13].…”