Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-t7fkt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T01:01:36.476Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Weaning practices and breast-feeding duration in Northern Thailand

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Dorothy A. Jackson ,
Stella M. Imong ,
Lumduan Wongsawasdii ,
Adung Silprasert ,
Sakda Preunglampoo ,
Posri Leelapat ,
R. F. Drewett ,
Kosin Amatayakul  and
J. D. Baum
Dorothy A. Jackson
Affiliation:
Institute of Child Health, University of Bristol, Bristol BS2 8BJ,
Stella M. Imong
Affiliation:
Institute of Child Health, University of Bristol, Bristol BS2 8BJ,
Lumduan Wongsawasdii
Affiliation:
Research Institute for Health Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Thailand,
Adung Silprasert
Affiliation:
Research Institute for Health Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Thailand,
Sakda Preunglampoo
Affiliation:
Research Institute for Health Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Thailand,
Posri Leelapat
Affiliation:
Research Institute for Health Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Thailand,
R. F. Drewett
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Durham
Kosin Amatayakul
Affiliation:
Research Institute for Health Sciences, Chiang Mai University, Thailand,
J. D. Baum
Affiliation:
Institute of Child Health, University of Bristol, Bristol BS2 8BJ,
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Current infant feeding guidelines recommend exclusive breast-feeding until the infant is about 4 months old to reduce the risks of early termination of breast-feeding, undernutrition and infection. In many societies, however, supplementary foods are given well before 4 months of age. The present paper describes weaning practices, factors associated with early supplementation and the effects of supplementation on duration of breast-feeding in a random sample of sixty northern Thai breast-fed infants studied prospectively from birth to 2 years of age. Composition of supplementary foods, energy and protein intake from supplements and changes in the supplementary diet with increasing infant age are also described. Rice-based foods were given from soon after birth; 81% of the sample had received supplements by 6 weeks of age. Early supplementary feeding was significantly associated with rural residence, large household size, maternal employment in agriculture and maternal age. Girls and infants with lower birth weights tended to be supplemented earlier. Despite early feeding of supplements, breast-feeding was prolonged, with median duration of 12 months. Early introduction of supplements and quantity of supplements consumed in the first 3 months were not associated with duration of breast-feeding. However, mothers who gave infant formula as the first supplementary food stopped breast-feeding slightly earlier, as did younger mothers living in households with more children.

Breast-feeding: Supplementary feeding: Weaning

Keywords

Breast-feedingSupplementary feedingWeaning
Type
Breast-feeding and Weaning Pratices
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 67 , Issue 2 , March 1992 , pp. 149 - 164
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1992

References

REFERENCES

Ashworth, A. & Feachem, R. G. (1985) Interventions for the control of diarrhoeal diseases among young children: weaning education. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 63, 1115–1127.Google ScholarPubMed
Bisolyaputra, U. & Bocobo, D. L. (1957) Dietary surveys in four areas of Thailand. Journal of the Pharmacological Association of Thailand 10, 175–204.Google Scholar
Brown, K. H., Black, R. E., Becker, S., Nahar, S. & Sawyer, J. (1982) Consumption of foods and nutrients by weanlings in rural Bangladesh. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 36, 878–889.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brown, K. H., Black, R. E., Lopez de Romana, G. & Creed de Kanashiro, H. (1989) Infant-feeding practices and their relationship with diarrheal and other diseases in Huascar (Lima), Peru. Pediatrics 83, 31–40.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bunner, D. L., VanderLaan, E. F. & VanderLaan, W. P. (1978) Prolactin levels in nursing mothers. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology 131, 250–252.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dewey, K. G., Heinig, M. J., Nommsen, L. A. & Lonnerdal, B. (1989) Dietary guidelines for infants. Lancet i, 504.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dimond, H. J. & Ashworth, A. (1987) Infant feeding practices in Kenya, Mexico and Malaysia. Human Nutrition: Applied Nutrition 41 A, 51–64.Google Scholar
Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization/United Nations University (1985) Energy and protein requirements. Report of a Joint FAO/WHO/UNU Expert Consultation. Technical Report Series, no. 724. Geneva WHO.Google Scholar
Forman, M. R. (1984) Review of research on the factors associated with choice and duration of infant feeding in less-developed countries. Pediatrics 74, Suppl., 667–694.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Franklin, R. R., Bertrand, W. E., Mock, N. B., Nkamany, K. & McCaw, A. (1983) Feeding patterns of infants and young children in Kinshasa, Zaire. Journal of Tropical Pediatrics 29, 255–259.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gussler, J. D. & Briesemeister, L. H. (1980) The insufficient milk syndrome: a biocultural explanation. Medical Anthropology 4, 1–24.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Imong, S. M., Jackson, D. A., Wongsawasdii, L., Ruckphaopunt, S., Tansuhaj, A., Chiowanich, P., Woolridge, M. W., Drewett, R. F., Baum, J. D. & Amatayakul, K. (1989) The predictors of breastmilk intake in rural northern Thailand. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 8, 359–370.Google Scholar
Imong, S. M., Jackson, D. A., Wongsawasdii, L., Ruckphaopunt, S., Woolridge, M. W., Amatayakul, K. & Baum, J. D. (1988) Indirect Test Weighing: a new method for measuring overnight breastmilk intakes in the field. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 7, 699–706.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
International Institute for Studies in Natural Family Planning (1990) Breastfeeding; Protecting a Natural Resource. Georgetown University, USA: International Institute for Studies in Natural Family Planning, Georgetown University.Google Scholar
Jackson, D. A., Imong, S. M., Silprasert, A., Wongsawasdii, L., Chiowanich, P., Ruckphaopunt, S., Williams, A. F., Woolridge, W. M., Drewett, R. F., Amatayakul, K. & Baum, J. D. (1988) Infant weight in relation to nutritional intake and morbidity in northern Thailand. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 42, 725–739.Google ScholarPubMed
Jackson, D. A., Imong, S. M., Woolridge, M. W., Wongsawasdii, L., Chiowanich, P., Drewett, R. F., Baum, J. D. & Amatayakul, K. (1990) Supplementary feeding and infant growth in northern Thailand. In Breastfeeding, Nutrition, Infection and Infant Growth in Developed and Emerging Countries, pp. 282–287 [Atkinson, S. A., Hanson, L. A. and Chandra, T. K, editors]. St John's, Newfoundland, Canada: ARTS Biomedical Publishers and Distributers.Google Scholar
Khan, M. (1980) Infant feeding practices in rural Meheran, Comilla, Bangladesh. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 33, 2356–2364.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kusin, J. A., KardjatiS, S, & van Steenbergen, W. (1985) Traditional infant feeding practices: right or wrong? Social Science and Medicine 21, 283–286.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Labbock, M. H. & Krasovec, K. (eds) (1990) In Guidelines for Breastfeeding in Child Survival and Family Planning Programmes. Georgetown University, USA: International Institute for Studies in Natural Family Planning, Georgetown University.Google Scholar
Latham, M. C., Elliott, T. C., Winikoff, B., Kekovole, J. & Van Esterik, P. (1986) Infant feeding in urban Kenya: a pattern of early triple nipple feeding. Journal of Tropical Pediatrics 32, 276–280.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
MacLean, W. C., Klein, G. L., Lopez, de, Romana, G., Massa, E. & Graham, G. G. (1978) Protein quality of conventional and high protein rice and digestibility of glutinous and non-glutinous rice by preschool children. Journal of Nutrition 108, 1740–1747.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nguyen, Tha Nga & Weissner, P. (1986) Breastfeeding and young child nutrition in Uong Bi, Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam. Journal of Tropical Pediatrics 32, 137–139.Google Scholar
Norusis, M. J. (1988) SPSS/PC+. Chicago: SPSS Inc.Google Scholar
Notzon, F. (1984) Trends in infant feeding in developing countries. Pediatrics 74, Suppl., 648–666.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Prentice, A. M., Lucas, A., Vasquez-Velasquez, L., Davies, P. S. & Whitehead, R. G. (1988) Are current dietary guidelines for young children a prescription for overfeeding? Lancet ii, 1066–1069.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rowland, M. G. M. (1986) The weanling's dilemma: are we making progress? Acta Paediatrica Scandinavica, 323, Suppl., 33–43.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sjolin, S., Hofvander, Y. & Hillervik, C. (1977) Factors related to early termination of breastfeeding. Acta Paediatricia Scandinavica 66, 505–511.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sriboonlue, P., Prasongwatana, V., Prasongwatana, J., Mularee, N., Sanchaisuriya, P., Moonamerd, S. & Saowakontha, S. (1983) Breastfeeding practices and food beliefs among the Pootai in northeast Thailand. Bulletin of the Khon Kaen University Health Sciences 9, 197–203.Google Scholar
Tin, Tin Oo & Khin, Maung Naing (1985) Breast-feeding and weaning practices for infants and young children in Rangoon, Burma. Food and Nutrition Bulletin 7, 47–53.Google Scholar
Underwood, B. A. & Hofvander, Y. (1982) Appropriate timing for complementary feeding of the breast-fed infant. A review. Acta Paediatrica Scandinavica 294, Suppl., 1–32.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Valyasevi, A. (1988) Nutritional problems during weaning period in Thai children. Hong Kong Journal of Paediatrics 1, Suppl., 88–94.Google Scholar
Valyasevi, A., Halstead, S., Pantuwatana, S. & Tankayul, C. (1967) Studies of bladder-stone disease in Thailand. IV. Dietary habits, nutritional intake and infant feeding practices among residents of a hypo- and a hyperendemic area. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 20, 1340–1351.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Esterik, P. (1985a) Commentary: an anthropological perspective on infant feeding in Oceania. In Infant Care and Feeding in the South Pacific, pp. 331–343 [Marshall, L. B., editor]. New York: Gordon & Breach.Google Scholar
Van Esterik, P. (1985b) The cultural context of breastfeeding in rural Thailand. In Breastfeeding, Child Health and Child Spacing, pp. 139–161 [Hall, V. and Simpson, M., editors]. London: Croom Helm.Google Scholar
Whitehead, R. G. (1985) Infant physiology, nutritional requirements and lactational adequacy. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 41, 447–458.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wongthes, P. & Wongthes, S. (1989) Art, culture and environment of Thai-Lao-speaking groups. In Culture and Environment of Thailand: a Symposium of the Siam Society, pp. 161–169. Bangkok: Siam Society.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (1981) Contemporary Patterns of Breastfeeding.Geneva:WHO.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (1983) Measuring Change in Nutritional Status.Geneva:WHO.Google Scholar