My name is Cindy Brigande and I am a nursing student at the
University of North Dakota. I have been researching breastfeeding and
early termination. I served as a WIC volunteer at Grand Forks Air Force
Base in North Dakota. Specifically, I assisted the Certified Lactation
Consultant (CLC) at this office. It emerged during my few years of
service (1996-1999) that many mothers at our WIC office began to
terminate breastfeeding before their infants were 4 months of age. The
CLC was disturbed by the inclination of the mothers to supplement
breastfeeding with formula, which supplementation led to bottle-feeding
formula full time; despite the interventions regarding breastfeeding and
the management of problems. Ertem, Votto, & Leventhal (2001) examined
the early discontinuation of breastfeeding by mothers eligible for WIC
in Connecticut. They state that knowledge of when and why women
discontinue breastfeeding is crucial to guide interventions aimed at
increasing both the initiation and duration of breastfeeding. The longer
women continue to nurse, the more this method of infant feeding will
become "seen" and the more likely it is to be viewed as normative
behavior, rather than just a "try". Confidence in the intention to
breastfeed would be the strongest predictor of breastfeeding outcome.
The study showed no significant relationship between knowledge regarding
breastfeeding and early termination of nursing. The authors suggest an
approach that might strengthen confidence maybe the provision of
financial incentives such as additional vouchers for mothers who choose
to continue to breastfeed, coupled with support to increase confidence.
Cleveland (1999) states that community health promotion methods can
change community traditions. Individual women can be encouraged toward
self-directed behavior. As women self-direct their own behavior, they
influence their family and friends, instead of being influenced by them.
Also proposed by Baker (2000) is the usage of a pacifier to prolong the
duration between feedings, as the infant gets older, the mother may
experience a decrease in milk supply and shorter breastfeeding duration.
My research shows intrinsic (confidence & self-direction) and extrinsic
(pacifier) variables that could result in early termination of
breastfeeding. I'm wondering what you see in practice as a factor in
this problem and what interventions you use to increase breastfeeding
duration?
Thank you,
Cindy Brigande
Nursing Student, University of North Dakota
Baker, L. (2000). The relationship between pacifier usage in infants and
breastfeeding success.
Pediatric Nursing, 26, 402+.
Cleveland, A.P. (1999). Personal efficacy beliefs in breastfeeding.
International Journal
of Childbirth Education, 14, 30.
Ertem, I.O., Votto, N., & Leventhal, J.M. (2001) The timing and
predictors of early termination of breastfeeding.
Pediatrics, 107, 543-548.
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