Early termination of breastfeeding among Philippine urban poor.

Mothers from an urban poor group in a Philippine city were recruited within three months of delivery and followed for one year in monthly interviews to determine infant feeding practices and the timing and causes of changes. Particular attention was paid to breastfeeding. Of those seen before delivery, 95 per cent initiated breastfeeding. Early terminations were percipitated by diarrhea, insufficient milk, mothers return to work, mothers sickness, another pregnancy, or other reasons. In almost all cases, the mother was reluctant to wean the child. Decision to do so was often based on folk beliefs not accepted by current specialists. A program to support breastfeeding must find strategies to modify practices that are based on widely-held folk beliefs. (Author)