Encouraging breastfeeding

In this issue, we publish 10 studies about what causes women to stop exclusive breastfeeding. Some structural variables that contribute are poverty, racism, and limited education. Poor women in India and the United States were less likely to breastfeed exclusively for the recommended period and in a Chinese study limited education was also a predictor. Several Turkish researchers recognize the structural variables that perhaps they cannot do anything about, while also noticing that women will not breastfeed if they don’t feel that they are efficient in the process or if they experience pain in the process of breastfeeding. These things they can do something about. You will thus read about the need for social support and about research interventions. The interventions range from efforts to improve breastfeeding self-efficacy with education and encouraging breastfeeding by interventions that reduce the pain some women experience. As always, read and learn!

Table

Health Issue	Authors	International Literature Contribution	Extent of Global Contribution	Research Location
Complementary Infant feeding	Morium B. Bably, et al.	Theoretical contribution: Complementary feeding of infants at recommended age is associated with economic advantage.	Study based on secondary analysis of Indian Human Development Survey II (n = 11,218 women) yet findings may become a hypothesis to be tested globally.	India
Breastfeeding	Christina M. Frazier, et al.	Theoretical contribution: Food insecurity is negatively associated with maintaining breastfeeding of infants beyond two months of age. In the United States, income is negatively associated with continuation of breast feeding.	Findings limited to sample in Greensboro, North Carolina, but hypothesis generated may be tested globally.	United States
Breastfeeding	Kamuran Özdil, et al.	Theoretical contribution: Although mothers see the benefit of breastfeeding for health and spiritual reasons, they may feel inadequate and that they lack the social support to continue breastfeeding.	Results of the study can be generalized only to the women interviewed.	Turkey
Breastfeeding	Jing-Ling Wu, et al.	Theoretical contribution: Maternal non-exclusive breastfeeding intention, lower maternal educational level, mother-infant skin to skin contact over one-hour, unsatisfied breastfeeding self-evaluation and maternal unhealthy condition within the first six weeks were risk factors for ceasing exclusive breastfeeding early.	Findings related only to this Chinese study.	China
Breastfeeding	Müge Sağlik and Zekiye Karaçam	Theoretical contribution: Perceived milk insufficiency decreases exclusive breastfeeding. Practice contribution: Structured education increases exclusive breastfeeding improves perceptions of sufficient milk intake and diminishes perception of breast milk deficiency.	Findings limited to study population in Turkey, but hypothesis and intervention can be tested elsewhere for global contribution.	Turkey
Breastfeeding	Ebru Küçük, et al.	Theoretical contribution: Mothers with perceived milk insufficiency switch to supplements to breast milk more frequently than do mothers who perceive their milk supply sufficient. Mothers’ perception of producing sufficient milk is associated with breastfeeding self-efficacy.	Findings from Turkish sample, must be tested elsewhere for global contribution.	Turkey
Breastfeeding	Arzu Kul Uçtu and Nebahat Özerdoğan	Practice contribution: Using an experimental design, researchers demonstrated that breastfeeding education given by using a teach-back method has a positive effect on the success of breastfeeding. The intervention increased breastfeeding self-efficacy.	Findings limited to the researchers’ Turkish sample, but intervention can be tested elsewhere.	Turkey
Breastfeeding	Meltem Ozkaya and Oznur Korukcu	Theoretical contribution: Engorgement leads to stopping breastfeeding. Cold cabbage leaf application to engorged breasts reduces breast pain, though does not reduce engorgement.	Literature review and meta-analysis was used to generate global theory.	Turkey
Breastfeeding	Elif Dağlı and Fatma Nilüfer Topkara	Practice contribution: Tele-education given to mothers about breastfeeding during the COVID-19 pandemic increases breastfeeding success and perceived breastfeeding self-efficacy.	Findings limited to Turkish Sample, but intervention can be replicated and tested elsewhere.	Turkey
Lactation	Esra Sarı and İlkay Güngör Satılmış	Practice contribution: Acupressure used in the early postpartum period in mothers with babies staying in the NICU after preterm cesarean delivery helps to initiate colostrum earlier and to increase the breast milk amount, thus enhancing mothers’ satisfaction.	Findings limited to Turkish Sample, but intervention can be replicated and tested elsewhere.	Turkey

Eleanor Krassen Covan, PhD
Editor-in-Chief
January 15, 2023
[email protected]