[Readiness for breast-feeding--A psychosocial problem (author's transl)]

Frequency and duration of breast-feeding of mothers were evaluated at the Gynaecological Hospital of Wilhelm-Pieck-Universität Rostock, GDR, in 1975 and 1977. Readiness for breast-feeding was found to go on declining, over the period under review.--The incidence of breast-feeding differed significantly by occupational backgrounds. Frequency and duration of breast-feeding undertaken by women with university and technical school education as well as by teachers, nurses, and medical laboratory assistants or female medical orderlies were higher with significance than records obtained from shop-floor and agricultural workers, clerical staff, and housewives.--Prolongation of maternity leave alone obviously did not stimulate breast-feeding, but more attention should be given to psychological moments, individual briefing on aspects relating to breast-feeding offered to mothers by medical personnel, early attempts of breast-feeding with mothers still in the delivery room and fathers present, and intensive guidance on breast-feeding at maternity wards.