Male Influence on Infant Feeding in Rural Guatemala and Implications for Child Nutrition Interventions

Abstract

Background and Aims: Guatemala has one of the highest rates of child stunting in the world, which especially impacts rural indigenous agricultural communities. Despite decades of intensive nutrition research and interventions, only rarely have nutrition programs successfully lowered the rate of stunting in these settings. The bulk of nutritional interventions in Guatemala are targeted at the education of female caregivers. However, women's ability to implement best practices in infant breastfeeding and complementary feeding are often constrained by external factors. This study evaluated the knowledge, beliefs, and practices of female caregivers, as well as the attitudes of fathers, toward breastfeeding and infant feeding in a rural Guatemalan village. Methods: Clinical work, participant-observation, surveys, interviews, and focus groups were conducted in a rural Guatemalan village in conjunction with a child feeding program from August 2008 to January 2011. Results: Male employment status, mental health, and attitudes towards child rearing and parenting responsibilities are often principal factors in infant growth failure. Conclusions: Successful child feeding programs must include educational elements for men and should consider structural elements that provide a safety net for unexpected changes in domestic finances.

Barriers and Opportunities for Improved Exclusive Breast-Feeding Practices in Tanzania: Household Trials With Mothers and Fathers

“…Mitchell-Box and Braun suggest that the traditional breast-feeding dyad of mother and infant should be replaced with the breast-feeding triad, which includes the father. 26 Although fathers are often regarded as decision makers or influencers, [27][28][29] the current study suggests that fathers can be involved directly in supporting and improving EBF behaviors. As noted earlier, caring for a colicky infant can induce maternal feelings of anxiety, guilt, disappointment, and failure.…”

Factors associated with the introduction of complementary feeding in theFrench ELFEcohort study

“…This study provides original insights into paternal factors, of which some, such as country of birth, remain significant in the multivariate analyses. Few studies describe paternal influences on young children's feeding behaviour (Betoko et al, ; Camara et al, ; Chary, Messmer, & Rohloff, ; Walsh, Cameron, Crawford, Hesketh, & Campbell, ; Walsh, Cameron, Hesketh, Crawford, & Campbell, ), but there is growing evidence that paternal factors, such as education or BMI, may affect the child's growth (Parikka et al, ). Although infant feeding practices may mainly depend on the mother, it may also be influenced by the father who may have different dietary habits (Bertin et al, ; Si Hassen et al, ).…”

What influences child feeding in the Northern Triangle? A mixed‐methods systematic review

“…Grandmothers were reported to encourage early introduction of other (non-breast milk) fluids into child diets and dominated feeding decisions (Brown et al, 2016;Cohen et al, 1999;Garcia et al, 2012;Olney et al, 2012;. Chary et al, 2011;Garcia-Meza, Montenegro-Bethancourt, et al, 2017). However, less income was not always associated with poorer feeding behaviours; one study reported that poverty increased colostrum feeding because women could not afford alternative foods for the child (Atyeo et al, 2017).…”