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A Study of Breast Feeding Rates at a Large Australian Obstetric Hospital
Author(s) -
Nicholson Wendy,
Yuen Hok Pan
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.734
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1479-828X
pISSN - 0004-8666
DOI - 10.1111/j.1479-828x.1995.tb02150.x
Subject(s) - medicine , mastitis , breast feeding , obstetrics , breast pain , hospital discharge , marital status , parity (physics) , breastfeeding , pediatrics , breast cancer , general surgery , population , environmental health , physics , pathology , cancer , particle physics
Summary: A prospective breast feeding survey in a large obstetric hospital was carried out from 1988 to 1991. For each year, a sample of women were interviewed following delivery and data was collected which included the method of feeding, patient status (public or private patients), age, parity, (including previous breast feeding experience), marital status, country of birth and the number of babies. The mother's feeding method after delivery and on discharge from hospital were recorded. Women who were breast feeding on discharge were interviewed at 3 months. When putting the figures for the 4 years together, the breast feeding commencement rate was 88%, the breast feeding rate on discharge was 80% and the breast feeding rate at 3 months was between 51% and 57%. Factors found to be affecting die breast feeding rate at 3 months included patient status, age and parity. Problems experienced by the motiiers after discharge from hospital included nipple pain, nipple trauma and mastitis. Private patients reported a significantly higher rate of mastitis than public patients.