Perceptions of Breastfeeding

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Recommended: Public health benefits of breastfeeding essays

Providing an infant with breast milk is one the most important physiological benefits a new mother can provide for her child and is described as the most valuable method of nurturing (Cleveland, 2000; Glass et al., 2010; Isaacson, 2006; Juliff, Downie & Rapley, 2007; Kloeblen-Tarver, Thompson & Miner, 2002; Okon, 2004; Simmie, 2006; Spear, 2007; Tarrant & Dodgson, 2007) however worldwide, barely one in every three children are exclusively breastfed during the first four months of their young lives (Hunt, 2007; Isaacson, 2006). The current recommendations by the World Health Organization (2011) are that women exclusively breastfeed their infants for a minimum of the first six months of life followed by the introduction of safe complementary foods while continuing to breastfeed for as long as two years, or beyond. The benefits of breast milk are supported so extensively throughout the literature that the World Health Organization and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund have their mandate focused towards the promotion of breastfeeding (Boucher, Brazal, Graham-Certosini, Carnaghan-Sherrard & Feeley, 2011). Despite all the current recommendations, adolescent mothers and young mothers have consistently lowers levels of initiation and duration of breastfeeding compared to older adults (Glass, Tucker, Stewart, Baker & Kauffman, 2009). In 2005, there were 30,948 pregnancies under the age of 20 in Canada (Stats Canada, 2010) and in 2009 in the US, there were a total of 409, 840 infants born to teenagers between the age of 15-19 (CDC, 2011). Although rates of teenage pregnancy have declined in some areas, teenage pregnancy is still an issue where education is lacking and with the benefits of breastfeeding known worldwi...

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...e, E. (2006). Breastfeeding: different ethnic background, different perceptions? British Journal of Midwifery, 14(1), 20-26.

Spear, H.J. (2007). College Students’ Experiences and Attitudes Regarding Middle and Secondary School-Based Breastfeeding Education. The Journal of School Nursing, 23(5), 276-282.

Tarrant, M., & Dodgson, J. (2007). Knowledge, Attitudes, Exposure, and Future

Intentions of Hong Kong University Students Toward Infant Feeding. Journal of

Obstetric, Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing, 36(3), 243-254.

Statistics Canada (2010). Pregnancy Outcomes by Age Group, retrieved May 8th 2011 from http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/hlth65a-eng.htm

World Health Organization [WHO] (2011). The World Health Organization’s Infant Feeding Recommendation, retrieved May 8th, 2011 from http://www.who.int/nutrition/topics/infantfeeding_recommendation/en/index.html

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