Infant feeding attitudes of expectant parents: breastfeeding and formula feeding

Background. Research has indicated that parental attitudes are strong predictors of choice of infant feeding. Identification and understanding of the infant feeding attitudes of mothers and their social networks should be an early step in the design and implementation of breastfeeding interventions. Aim. To compare the infant feeding attitudes of parents of breastfed infants with those of parents of formula fed infants. Methods. A survey was carried out with a convenience sample of pregnant women (gestational age 8-12 weeks) attending three maternity clinics in Scotland in 2000. Expectant mothers and their partners (n = 108 couples) completed the 17 item Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale. Demographic information was collected by face-to-face interview and the method of feeding at discharge from hospital was obtained from medical records. Results. Parents of breastfed infants had more positive attitudes towards breastfeeding than parents of formula fed infants, and were more knowledgeable about the health benefits and nutritional superiority of breastfeeding. Fathers of both breastfed and formula fed infants were more likely than their partners to disapprove of women breastfeeding in public. Parents considered their chosen method of feeding to be the more convenient alternative. Mothers of formula fed infants were more likely to think that women who occasionally drink alcohol should not breastfeed. Conclusion. Parents of formula fed infants had several misconceptions about breastfeeding. Use of the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale could help health professionals identify and address these in infant feeding discussions in the early antenatal period. Efforts should be made to include fathers in these infant-feeding discussions.