Evaluation of Mothers’ Sociodemographic Characteristics and Infant Feeding Attitudes During Pregnancy According to the Iowa Feeding Attitude Scale and Examining the Scale’s Role in Determining Breastfeeding Duration

Abstract

Introduction: The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the initial 6 months of life, followed by the introduction of supplementary foods together with breast milk after 6 months, and then continuing to breastfeed until the child reaches 2 years of age. Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS) was developed to identify which infant feeding methods pregnant women are more inclined towards during the early stages of pregnancy. In our study, we aimed to assess the feeding practices of mothers using the IIFAS. Material and methods: The study was planned with consenting pregnant women who applied to the gynaecology clinic, pregnancy outpatient clinic and pediatric outpatient clinic of our hospital. Those who had problems such as drug use, chronic disease, psychological disorder, anatomical disorder that would prevent breastfeeding, syndromic condition, indication for hospitalisation were excluded from the study. A questionnaire regarding the demographic profile of the mothers and the IIFAS was filled out. Subsequently, face-to-face interviews were conducted with the mothers on the seventh day, third month, and sixth month to gather information. Results: The study was completed with 96 mothers. According to the IOWA infant feeding scale scores of the mothers, there were 26 (27.1%) mothers in the breastfeeding-prone group with a score of 70 and above and 70 (72.9%) mothers in the undecided group with a score between 49-69. Since none of the pregnant women scored between 17-48, the group predisposed to formula feeding was not formed. There were no significant variations observed between the groups with regard to age, family type, and mode of delivery; however, there was a notable disparity in the educational and informational statuses of the mothers. Conclusions: The fact that mothers were mostly undecided about the recommendations related to the IIFAS indicates the need for information about breast milk.