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Insufficient milk supply among black and white breast‐feeding mothers
Author(s) -
Hill Pamela D.,
Aldag Jean C.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
research in nursing and health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1098-240X
pISSN - 0160-6891
DOI - 10.1002/nur.4770160307
Subject(s) - ethnic group , breast feeding , white (mutation) , incidence (geometry) , breast milk , demography , medicine , black women , environmental health , gynecology , pediatrics , gender studies , biology , sociology , biochemistry , physics , anthropology , optics , gene
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether ethnicity is associated with insufficient milk supply (IMS) among breast‐feeding mothers. A major reason reported by mothers for early termination or introduction of formula and/or solids is insufficient milk. A retrospective survey was conducted among 42 black and 148 white breast‐feeding mothers participating in the WIC program in a midwestern state. The results suggested that: (1) the incidence of IMS was similar for black and white mothers; (2) controlling for education, black mothers initiated breast‐feeding later and stopped sooner; IMS mothers fed less frequently and for shorter periods; and (3) controlling for education, there were no ethnic differences in the determinants or indicators of IMS. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.