A survey of information given by health professionals, about bottle feeding, to first-time mothers in a Scottish population.

Abstract

Objective: To assess mothers' perception of information given to them about bottle feeding.

Design: Survey, as part of a longitudinal study of professional support given to infant feeding mothers. Data were analysed from postal questionnaires completed at 34 weeks gestation and one month postnatally.

Subjects: Every woman over 16 years expecting her first baby in an uncomplicated pregnancy, in two Scottish regions, was sent an antenatal questionnaire over an eight month period during 1998. This report considers respondents over 23 years of age, of whom there were 365 (51% response rate). Of these, 296 (81%) completed the subsequent questionnaire at one month postnatally.

Results: Fewer than 50% of women reported being given information about sterilising equipment, making feeds and offering the right quantities, before the birth of their baby. Of women considering bottle feeding only 42% had been given any information on sterilising equipment before their baby's birth. Of women who had begun to breastfeed but were giving bottle feeds at one month postnatally, fewer than 40% had been given information on bottle feeding antenatally, and less than 56% postnatally.

Conclusion: In a study of 365 mothers of 23 years and over most women reported having little or no information about bottle feeding. Women who intended to bottle feed reported receiving more information than those intending to breastfeed. Those giving bottle feeds at one month reported that they received more information than those exclusively breastfeeding, but low levels of information giving were recalled overall.