Using a questionnaire developed in America could help UK nurses to increase breastfeeding rates, according to a team of Glasgow based researchers. Including expectant fathers in early discussions would also enable staff to tackle misconceptions and identify parents who would benefit from further information, says the study in the latest issue of Journal of Advanced Nursing.

Iolanda Shaker from Greater Glasgow Primary Care NHS Trust teamed up with Jane A Scott and Margaret Reid from the University of Glasgow to explore the potential of the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale.

108 couples completed the questionnaire, which was given to the expectant parents at the booking in clinic when the women were eight to twelve weeks pregnant. They were asked to indicate what they thought of 17 statements covering breastfeeding and formula feeding. The results were then analysed by sex and how the new mothers were feeding at discharge.

Key results included:

• 49 per cent of women breastfed at discharge and 51 per cent fed their babies formula. At the booking-in clinic, 61 per cent said they would breastfeed and 20 per cent intended to formula feed. 18 per cent were undecided and the majority of these finally opted for formula feeding.
• Parents of breastfed infants recorded significantly higher total positive attitude scores for their chosen feeding method than parents of formula fed infants. These included the nutritional value and health benefits of breastfeeding.
• Fathers were four times more likely to strongly disapprove of breastfeeding in public than their partners.
• Just over 45 per cent of formula feeding mothers strongly agreed with the statement that women who occasionally drank alcohol should not breastfeed, compared with six per cent of breastfeeding mothers.

"This study suggests that the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scales could be used to identify the attitudes of expectant parents in the antenatal period" says Jane A Scott of University of Glasgow's Division of Developmental Medicine.

"Information collected by the scale could be used to identify parents who have misconceptions about breastfeeding, together with those with neutral attitudes who might be most responsive to targeted intervention activities.

"This is also the first study to report the use of the scale with expectant fathers", Jane adds. "The role of the father in infant feeding choice needs to be recognised and health professionals must find ways of involving partners in infant feeding discussions.

"Currently few opportunities exist for fathers to learn about breastfeeding and to prepare themselves to offer the emotional and practical support required by their partners."

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For further press information, including a copy of the full paper, contact: Annette Whibley, Wizard Communications, 01926 330504 wordwizard@clara.co.uk or

Judith Hodgson, University of Glasgow Press Office, 0141 330 3535 (j.hodgson@admin.gla.ac.uk)

Reference: Infant feeding attitudes of expectant parents: breastfeeding and formula feeding.

Iolanda Shaker, Public Health Practitioner, Greater Glasgow Primary Care NHS Trust;

Jane A Scott, Lecturer, Division of Developmental Medicine, Human Nutrition Section, University of Glasgow

Margaret Reid, Professor and Head of Division of Community Based Sciences, Department of Public Health and Health Policy, University of Glasgow.

Journal of Advanced Nursing. Volume 45 (3), pages 260 to 268. January 2004

First published: 22 January 2004