The aim of this study was to use the grounded theory method to discover the main concerns of midwives in relation to their practice with baby feeding, and to identify the processes that are involved in dealing with baby feeding in their day-to-day work. Data were generated from thirty in-depth interviews with midwives who worked in two maternity care Trusts in the North of England. Data were analysed using constant comparative techniques of the grounded theory method. A computer software program (Non-numerical Unstructured Data Indexing Searching and Theorising package) for qualitative data analysis was used to manage and store the analysis. The grounded theory that emerged suggests that baby feeding was not an easy part of these midwives’ work. These midwives were finding ways of dealing with the pressures that were around them, and which they felt, were affecting their practice. Examples of these pressures include the environment where feeding took place, the support and contributions of those around the woman and baby (particularly other midwives), and the beliefs and behaviour of the woman and baby themselves. ‘Surviving’ enabled midwives to feel that they had dealt with baby feeding in their practice and successfully managed their workload. Surviving consists of four main categories: altering proximities of baby feeding, emotionalising baby feeding, struggling with baby feeding, and directing baby feeding. Surviving is not a linear process that is sequential, but cyclical as these categories are inter-related to each other. However, these midwives’ actions created many of the problems that they experienced, therefore the process was perpetuated. The significance of this substantive theory has been explored within the literature related to baby feeding, workers’ functioning in other public service bureaucracies, and research methodology. Implications for midwifery research, practice and policy are discussed. It is suggested that this thesis could contribute to wider health service agendas such as clinical governance, multi-disciplinary working and public health.

O presente estudo teve como objetivo verificar a prevalência de anemia em crianças de 3 a 12 meses de idade, associada às variáveis maternas, neonatais e de aleitamento materno, atendidas num serviço de saúde de Ribeirão Preto, SP. Neste estudo, que foi um recorte de um projeto multicêntrico, utilizou-se parte dos dados coletados na UBDS Vila Virginia, em Ribeirão Preto-SP, a fim de se atingirem os objetivos propostos. Estudo transversal, observacional, descritivo e quantitativo, do qual participaram 121 mães e seus respectivos filhos, de 3 a 12 meses de idade, atendidos no serviço de puericultura da UBDS Vila Virgínia, turno da tarde, no período de 01 de setembro/2005 a 31 de julho/2006. No seu desenvolvimento, realizaram-se entrevistas com as mães, para preenchimento do formulário, e também colheu-se amostra de sangue da região do calcâneo da criança, para dosagem da hemoglobina (Hb). Adotaram-se três critérios internacionais, como parâmetros de anemia, usando-se para as crianças de 3 a 5 meses de idade completos dois critérios, de Hb < 10,0 g/dL segundo padrão Brault-Dubuc e Hb< 10,3 g/dL, padrão Saarinen; para as crianças e 6 a 12 meses de idade incompletos, critério de Hb < 11,0 g/dL, adotado pela OMS. Na análise dos dados, utilizaram-se distribuição de freqüências, médias, desvios padrões e medianas, teste de associação e regressão logística. Do total de 69 crianças de 3 a 5 meses de idade completos, a prevalência de anemia foi de 17,4 e 20,2%, segundo padrões Brault-Dubuc e Saarinen, respectivamente. Nas crianças de 6 a 12 meses de idade incompletos, a prevalência de anemia foi de 48,0%, segundo critério da OMS. No total de 121 crianças de 3 a 12 meses de idade, a prevalência de anemia foi de 30,6 e 32,2%, respectivamente, segundo combinação dos três critérios. Não encontrou-se associação entre anemia e variáveis maternas e formas de morar e viver das famílias; porém, com relação às variáveis infantis, encontrou-se forte associação entre anemia e idade da criança; não se identificou associação entre anemia e sexo, peso ao nascer, idade gestacional e consumo de ferro medicamentoso. Quanto à anemia e aleitamento não se encontrou associação estatisticamente significativa entre os diferentes tipos e duração do aleitamento materno. O consumo de água e chá aumentou 1,8 vez o risco de adquirir anemia mas, o resultado não foi estatisticamente significativo. O uso de leite de vaca fluido apresentou-se associado à anemia, aumentando em 1,7 vez o risco de adquiri-la. / This study aimed to verify the prevalence of anemia in children 3 to 12 months old associated to maternal, neonatal and breastfeed variables, assisted in a health service in Ribeirão Preto, SP. Part of the data collected for a multicenter project in the UBDS (Basic and District Health Unit) Vila Virginia was used. This is a cross-sectional, observational, descriptive and quantitative study. A total of 121 mothers and their respective children, 3 to 12 moths old, assisted in the child care service of the UBDS Vila Virginia in the afternoon shift in the period between September 1st, 2005 to July 31st, 2006 participated in the study. Mothers were interviewed in order to fill in the form and blood samples were collected from the children\'s calcaneus region to determine the hemoglobin (Hb) dosage. Three international criteria were adopted as parameters of anemia. For children 3 to 5 months old, two criteria were used, the standard Brault-Dubuc, Hb<10.0 g/dl and the standard Saarinen, Hb<10.3 g/dl and for children 6 to under 12 months old, the criterion adopted by WHO, Hb < 11,0 g/dl, was used. In the data analysis, frequency distribution, mean, standard deviation and median, association test and logistic regression were used. From the 69 children, 3 to 5 months old, the prevalence of anemia was 17.4 and 20.2%, according to Brault-Dubuc and Saarinen standards, respectively. For children 6 to under 12 months old, the prevalence of anemia was 48.0% according to the WHO criterion. In the total, for 121 children 3 to 12 months old, the prevalence of anemia was 30.6 and 32.2% respectively, according to the three combined standards. There was no association between anemia and maternal variables and families\' living conditions. However, there was strong association between anemia and children\'s age; no association between anemia and gender, weight at birth, gestational age and consumption of medicamentous iron were found. There was also no statistically significant association between anemia and breastfeeding in terms of types and duration of breastfeeding. The consumption of water and tea increased 1.8 times the risk of acquiring anemia though the results was not statistically significant. The consumption of liquid cow milk was associated to anemia and increased 1.7 times the risk of acquiring it.

This study focused mainly upon regional and religious variables influencing a mother's decision for a particular infant feeding practice. The problem of this study was to investigate the breast feeding and maternal attitudes of Mormon and non-Mormon mothers who were raised within the Mountain States region and compare them to the attitudes of Mormon and non-Mormon women who are not residents of this region. No significant differences were found between the resident and non- resident women in their practice of bottle or breast feeding, nor was any significant difference found between the number of Mormon and non-Mormon women who breast fed their children. What was discovered however, was an amazingly large percentage of women that had selected to breast feed their babies. Mothers who breast fed were more inclined to mention a closeness between mother and baby as their main reason for the method that they selected . They also believed that it was more convenient, economical , and better for the baby. Physical problems that make breast feeding difficult, if not impossible, were most often mentioned by mothers who selected to bottle feed their children. Bottle feeding was also listed as more convenient and allowed more mobility. Scores obtained from the Infant Feeding Scale, which was developed to measure a mother 1s religious and traditional attitudes in regards to infant feeding, indicated that the Mormon group scored significantly higher on both the religious and traditional parts. The nonresidents in general also scored higher indicating a more conservative traditional response by this group, but it was the Mormon-non-resident group that presented the greater contribution to the over all significance that was found on this scale. Other social and personal variables such as social class, age, family size and educational status were also considered in this study , but no significant difference was found, perhaps because the population in this study was an accumulation of mothers who possessed those variables that tend to positively influence breast feeding.

Objective: The goal of this study is to uncover sociocultural barriers to breastfeeding among African American women in the Atlanta metropolitan area and provide an educational intervention based on identified barriers to increase the willingness to breastfeed. Methods: Non-Hispanic African American women, 6 to 9 months pregnant, between the ages of 18 and 45, of varying socioeconomic status were recruited from multiple Obstetrics and Gynecology clinics throughout the Atlanta-metropolitan area. Participants completed a self-administered pre-test survey that questioned their intention to breastfeed and anticipated barriers associated with breastfeeding. Those who were unsure of breastfeeding or did not plan to breastfeed were asked to participate in an educational intervention that provided information about breastfeeding, the benefits to mother and baby and managing commonly perceived barriers. Immediately after the intervention a post-test was provided. A second post-test was conducted after all participants delivered their baby. Chi-square analysis was performed to examine the distribution of actual breastfeeding initiation rates by initial intention as well as by age, income and education. Results: Forty-nine women participated in the study. 18 of 20 women (90%) who intended to exclusively breastfeed initiated breastfeeding. Sixteen women reported that they did not intend to breastfeed. After receiving the intervention, 56.3% (n=9) initiated breastfeeding. Thirteen women reported they were unsure of their feeding plans in the pretest. Of these, 69.2% (n=9) initiated breastfeeding. Participants reported their primary barriers to breastfeeding were fear of pain, difficulty breastfeeding once they returned to work and lack of support from family, friends and their partner/spouse/father of the child. A significant association was observed between ages 25-29 years old and initiation of breastfeeding in women who were unsure of their breastfeeding plans (p=0.005). No association was found between income or education and initiation of breastfeeding. Conclusion: Education about breastfeeding was a significant barrier to breastfeeding in the African-American women in our study population. Women who participated in the intervention were more likely to initiate breastfeeding. Employment status, income, and education were not significant factors in a woman’s decision to initiate breastfeeding.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the experience of breastfeeding practices among employed mothers in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Chiang Mai is the second largest city following Bangkok (Thailand capital). Growth and development of Chiang Mai is rapid in terms of social and economic changes. Many women work outside the home as well as perform housework, and thus dual roles are common. Labour force participation for women in the childbearing years has increased rapidly, particularly in the non-agricultural sector. The demands of the formal labour market in the urban setting mean that most mothers must leave their children when they are working. These circumstances make combining reproductive and productive roles difficult, with possible implications for the breastfeeding relationship. Previous studies have produced ambiguous and contradictory findings about the links between employment and breastfeeding. (For complete abstract open document)

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