Promoting exclusive breastfeeding for 4-6 months in Honduras: attitudes of mothers and barriers to compliance

Abstract

Prospective and retrospective data on maternal attitudes and obstacles to exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) were collected from Honduran mothers of low birthweight (1500-2500 g), term infants who were enrolled in an intervention study to compare infant outcomes in those who were randomly assigned to breastfeed exclusively for either 4 or 6 months. Perceived advantages of EBF were that it was easier, more practical and economical, and resulted in better infant health and growth. Disadvantages included the perceived time demand, concerns that the infant would accept solids less readily, and fears that breast milk alone was insufficient. The majority of study participants said that they would choose to exclusively breastfeed their next infant to 6 months. Although there were many obstacles to EBF, particularly in the first few weeks, women who persevered became enthusiastic proponents of EBF. Messages to promote EBF need to target the entire community, not just mothers, and should focus on addressing common misconceptions and alerting women to potential problems before they occur.