Criteria of choice concerning the feeding of newborns: a survey with 308 women

Purpose – The aim of this study was to understand the women’s motivations and hindrances for choosing and keeping on with breast-feeding.Population and methods – The survey was conducted in a group of 308 women chosen at random at least three months after their delivery. Practitioners and midwives submitted to them a self-questionnaire.Results – The survey showed that breast-feeding was chosen only in 51% of the cases and that the average duration was of two months. Women who breast-fed were more than 35 years old, multiparous, having personal history of breast-feeding and having followed the courses of preparation for the delivery. The fear of mammary disease (22%) and the constraints of availability (50%) seem to influence the women towards an artificial feeding.Conclusion – The reflation of breast feeding should have financial and social incentive measures. The frame of breast feeding women should be improved notably by a better training of health professionals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]