Feeding Mode of Australian Infants in the First 12 Months of Life
Anthea Magarey1,2, Foorough Kavian1, Jane A Scott3
11 Nutrition & Dietetics, School of Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
Insights
Australian infant feeding practices, including breastfeeding duration and solids introduction, fall short of national recommendations. Key predictors for early cessation and solids introduction include maternal socioeconomic factors and age.
Area of Science:
- Maternal and Child Health
- Nutritional Epidemiology
- Public Health Interventions
Background:
- Australia established population-level indicators in 2011 for infant feeding practices.
- These indicators assess breastfeeding, formula use, and the introduction of solid foods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate Australian infant feeding practices against national indicators.
- To identify predictors of early breastfeeding cessation and the introduction of solids.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 1470 mother-infant dyads was recruited in Australian urban and regional areas.
- Data on feeding practices were collected via questionnaires at birth, 4-7 months, and 13 months.
- Multiple logistic regression analyzed predictors of breastfeeding cessation and solids introduction.
Main Results:
- Breastfeeding initiation was high (93.3%), but only 41.7% of infants were breastfed to 6 months.
- 33.3% of infants received solids by 4 months.
- Socially disadvantaged, younger, less educated, unpartnered, primiparous, or overweight mothers were more likely to cease breastfeeding early; younger/less educated mothers introduced solids earlier. Inadequate milk supply was the primary reason for cessation.
Conclusions:
- Australian infant feeding behaviors in the first year do not meet recommended guidelines.
- Mothers require better guidance on breastfeeding success indicators.
- The tendency for mothers to doubt their breast milk adequacy warrants further investigation.
Background:
In 2011, Australia published a set of 6 population-level indicators assessing breastfeeding, formula use, and the introduction of soft/semisolid/solid foods.
Objectives:
This study aimed to report the feeding practices of Australian infants against these indicators and determine the predictors of early breastfeeding cessation and introduction of solids.
Methods:
Mother-infant dyads (N = 1470) were recruited postnatally in 2 Australian capital cities and regional areas of 1 state between February 2008 and March 2009. Demographic and feeding intention data were collected by self-completed questionnaire at infant birth, with feeding practices (current feeding mode, age of breastfeeding cessation, age of formula and/or solids introduction) reported when the infant was between 4 and 7 months of age, and around 13 months of age. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the predictors of breastfeeding cessation and solids introduction.
Results:
Although initiation of breastfeeding was almost universal (93.3%), less than half of the infants were breastfed to 6 months (41.7%) and 33.3% were receiving solids by 4 months. Women who were socially disadvantaged, younger, less educated, unpartnered, primiparous, and/or overweight were most likely to have ceased breastfeeding before 6 months of age, and younger and/or less educated women were most likely to have introduced solid food by 4 months of age. Not producing adequate milk was the most common reason provided for cessation of breastfeeding.
Conclusion:
The feeding behaviors of Australian infants in the first 12 months fall well short of recommendations. Women need anticipatory guidance as to the indicators of breastfeeding success and the tendency of women to doubt the adequacy of their breast milk supply warrants further investigation.
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