First Time Expectant Fathers’ Perspectives on Breastfeeding

Abstract

Background: Mothers who have a supportive and encouraging partner are more likely to plan to breastfeed for a longer duration.Objective: To explore the first time expectant fathers attitudes toward breast feeding practices.Methods: A descriptive cross sectional study was carried out among n=157 purposively selected first time expectant fathers attending antenatal clinics along with low risk term primigravidae at a tertiary care corporate maternity hospital, Cosmopolitan Bangalore city, Karnataka, India from June 2015 to July 2016. In accordance with Declaration of Helsinki, data was collected by The Iowa Infant Feeding Attitudes Scale (IIFAS). SPSS version 20 was used for analysis. Results:In general men had a favourable attitude towards breast feeding (51.6±6.98) but they did not articulate specific benefits of it. Most expectant fathers reported that breastfeeding is the ideal way to feed a baby, contains the perfect proportion of nutrients and provides babies with a wide range of health benefits. Plus, breastfeeding is a great way for a mother to bond with her baby physically and mentally. However (57.2%) of them preferred formula feeding for the baby while mother is away and felt it as healthy as breast milk. Although the men were generally supportive of breastfeeding, majority did not support breastfeeding (58%) in the public places. A few knew about the long term benefits of breast feeding on mother and infants. Majority (82.4%) expressed a need for support and information from health personnel on how they could practically support their partner in promoting and enabling breastfeeding. A significant association found between their attitude and level of education and occupation at 0.05 levels. Conclusion:Health professionals must provide men centric prenatal education to promote breast feeding practices. They should involve, include and support fathers, recognizing their importance in the breastfeeding relationship.