[Breast feeding and the relationship between mother and infant (author's transl)]

The attitude of 345 maternity patients to nursing was explored by a questionnaire. Psychological and sociological data were taken into account. 4/5 of the women expected that breast feeding would enhance the relationship between mother and infant. The least enhancing effect was expected by women under the age of 20 (S 5%). Knowledge on breast feeding was the most important factor governing the attitude toward nursing. The less women knew on breast feeding the rarer did they expect that nursing would be of importance for the relationship between mother and child (S 1%). Uninformed women often had the anxiety that breast feeding was not sufficient to nourish an infant (S 1%). Women who did not think that breast feeding was of importance in the relationship between mother and infant did also not think that it had other advantages such as protection against infection (S 1%). Women who had frequent so-called psychosomatic complaints were especially motivated in favor of breast feeding (S 1%).