Information-sharing : a nursing strategy to facilitate informed prenatal decision-making on infant feeding

Abstract

The fact that women are still choosing to bottlefeed in spite of the scientific evidence on the benefits of breastfeeding supports further research on the promotion of breastfeeding. The incidence of breastfeeding varies regionally; Newfoundland, where this study was conducted, has the lowest incidence of breastfeeding in Canada. Thus, one problem for nurses in Newfoundland is to find a means to increase the incidence of breastfeeding. The present study examined the relationship between a nursing intervention (information-sharing on infant feeding) and decision-making on an infant feeding method. -- This descriptive study examined the responses of a convenience sample (n=18) of primigravidous women to a nursing intervention. Primigravidous women in their third trimester of pregnancy were contacted through prenatal classes of two urban maternity hospitals and general practitioners. -- The nursing intervention included an initial interview and two information-sharing sessions on infant feeding. The initial interview consisted of an assessment of the woman's knowledge and values of infant feeding, developed by the researcher, and a pre-test investigating attitudes towards infant feeding, developed by Manstead (1984). The two information-sharing sessions covered information on breast and bottle feeding, including feelings, attitudes and practical information about each method of infant feeding. The second information-sharing session concluded with a post-test (a repeat of the pre-test) and feedback from the participants regarding the two sessions. -- The results concurred with other studies in that (a) information-sharing alone has no significant effect on either a woman's attitudes or intention towards breast or bottle feeding, (b) attitudes are not the only influential factor in a woman's decision to breast or bottle feed, (c) a woman's prenatal intention to breast or bottlefeed is a good indicator of her postnatal choice, and (d) most women, prior to conception or in early pregnancy, have decided on an infant feeding method. -- One of the assessment tools, Values and Knowledge on Infant Feeding (VKIF), emerged as a potential instrument for practice, education, and research. The tool more clearly delineated the differences between the women with intentions to breastfeed and the women who were either undecided or had intentions to bottlefeed than did the Manstead (1984) tool, A Questionnaire to investigate Attitudes to Infant Feeding (QIAIF). The VKIF tool also indicated the areas that might be potential problems for breastfeeding mothers. The VKIF tool, as a nursing research instrument, shows potential as a mechanism to indicate the barriers to breastfeeding.