Exclusive breastfeeding in Vietnam: an attainable goal

Almroth, S; Arts, Maaike; Quang, Nguyen Dinh; Hoa, Pham Thi Thuy; Williams, Carol

doi:10.1111/j.1651-2227.2008.00844.x

Cited by 32 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Our findings also confirm previous research showing that breastfeeding misconceptions are highly prevalent and strongly associated with increased likelihood of prelacteal feeding [12,32]. Further, mothers who believed that social norms favor EBF and those who were confident in their ability to follow optimal breastfeeding practices had lower odds of prelacteal feeding.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…A major advantage to these programs is their potential to reach not only pregnant women and mothers, but also their families. Family members have been shown to have considerable influence over the breastfeeding practices of Vietnamese mothers [12,31,33], and our findings show that family members may play a role in encouraging the early feeding of water. Thus, educating families as a whole has a high potential to positively shape mothers’ IYCF beliefs and practices.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 59%

“…However, maternal knowledge of the need for colostrum feeding and the timing of breastfeeding initiation were moderately high in this study population, suggesting that mothers primarily feed prelacteals for reasons other than colostrum avoidance. Few participants knew that newborns need only 5–7 ml of milk per feed on the first day, which may partially explain why Vietnamese mothers commonly feel that they have insufficient breastmilk [12,33] and thus supplement breastfeeding with prelacteals [32]. …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although Vietnam implemented the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) in 1993, breastfeeding counseling services for pregnant women and lactating mothers are lacking [35]. Barriers to these services include inadequate training, poor counseling skills, low confidence, and limited understanding of breastfeeding among health workers [12,33,34]. Providers should be monitored and given support to ensure compliance with BFHI guidelines, and emphasis should be placed on integrating breastfeeding counseling into routine antenatal and postpartum care.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…One-third of infants do not receive breastmilk within an hour of birth, and only one-fifth are exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life [1]. Evidence suggests that prelacteal feeding – giving foods or liquids to newborns before breastfeeding is established or before breastmilk ‘comes in’ [8-11]– is a major contributor to suboptimal breastfeeding patterns in Vietnam [12,13]. Giving prelacteals has been shown to delay the initiation of breastfeeding [9] and interfere with exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) during the first six months of life [8,14-16].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Prelacteal feeding practices in Vietnam: challenges and associated factors

Nguyen

Keithly²,

Nguyen³

et al. 2013

BMC Public Health

139

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BackgroundDespite the importance of early initiation of and exclusive breastfeeding, prelacteal feeds continue to pose a barrier to optimal breastfeeding practices in several countries, including Vietnam. This study examined the factors associated with prelacteal feeding among Vietnamese mothers.MethodsData from 6068 mother-child (<6 m) dyads were obtained from a cross-sectional survey conducted in 11 provinces in Vietnam in 2011. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to examine factors associated with prelacteal feeding.ResultsDuring the first three days after birth, 73.3% of the newborns were fed prelacteals, 53.5% were fed infants formula, and 44.1% were fed water. The odds of feeding prelacteals declined with increased breastfeeding knowledge, beliefs about social norms in favor of exclusive breastfeeding, and confidence in one’s own breastfeeding behaviors. Women who harbored misconceptions about breastfeeding had twice the odds of feeding any prelacteals (OR: 2.09, 95% CI: 1.74–2.50). Health care factors increasing the odds of prelacteal feeding included delivery by caesarean section (OR: 2.94, 95% CI: 2.39–3.61) or episiotomy (OR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.17–1.58) and experiencing breastfeeding problems (OR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.04–1.66). Health staff support during pregnancy and after birth reduced the odds of feeding formula. However, family support after delivery increased the odds of feeding water to newborns.ConclusionsThe multiple factors contributing to the high prevalence of prelacteal feeding behaviors stress the need for early and appropriate breastfeeding interventions in Vietnam, particularly during routine healthcare contacts. Improving breastfeeding practices during the first days of an infant’s life could be achieved by improving knowledge and confidence of mothers through appropriate perinatal counseling and support. Ensuring that health facilities integrate these practices into routine ante-natal care and post-delivery management is critical.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%