Breast-feeding link to income

Press, 16 July 1986, Page 44

Breast-feeding link to income

PA Wellington Babies who have Maori or solo mothers or come from a lower income group are breast-fed less than babies from other groups, according to a study of breast-feeding patterns in west Auckland. The Health Department study gives information on the level of breast feeding in the rapidly growing western suburbs of Auckland.

The report chose this area because it had problems of new group housing areas such as lack of family support and tight budgets which affected the health of families.

The study considered the breast feeding-status, of.* 603 infante born bW

tween March 1 and June 30 last year, almost all the babies born during this period in west Auckland.

Links were found between breast-feeding and the socio-economic class of the mother. It was found that women in the higher income groups breast-fed longer. Using a range of seven classes with one being the highest class and seven the class for unemployment beneficiaries, the study found a steady decline in the percentage of women breast-feeding their babies at the age of six months from class one to seven.

Another finding was that Maori mothers breast-fed less than other

mothers. This was most pronounced with mothers with six-month-old babies with only 29 per cent of Maori mothers still breast-feeding. By contrast, 61 per cent of Pacific Island mothers and 52 per cent of mothers from other groups breast-fed at six months. Maori mothers also breast-fed less in the other age groups, studied. While 63 per cent of Maori mothers breast-fed six-week-old babies, 85 per cent of Pacific Island mothers and 73 per cent of other mothers did.

With four-month-old babies, 41 per cent of Maori mothers, 80 per center Pacific Islander

mothers and 73 per cent of other mothers breastfed.

Solo mothers also breast-fed less at each period studied.

By six months 52 per cent of married and 40 per cent of solo mothers were still breast-feeding. The report said that those groups which would benefit most from the health and economic advantages of breast feeding were shown by the study to be breast-feeding less.

• Human . milk was physiologically designed to meet the needs of human babies and had many advantages- over cow’s or goat’s ’

• Bowel infections in infants were unlikely as accidental contamination of prepared milk feeds was avoided.

• Maternal antibodies were transferred through breast feeding protecting the infant against common infections.

® Breast-fed infante had less chances of getting respiratory infections, middle ear infections and thrush.

• Breast feeding was cheaper.

The study recommended that more effort should be made to promote breast-feeding to lower income groups, and Maori and solo mothers which Would overlap.