Barriers to Sustainability of Exclusive Breastfeeding in Low-Income Hispanic Women
Background: Human milk is the most superior, and complete form of nutrition for newborns and children up to two years of age. Numerous studies and evidence based practices have shown that exclusive breastfeeding, giving nothing by mouth to the newborn for up to six months of life, confers countless health benefits. Early and exclusive breastfeeding ensures meaningful and sustainable bonding between the mother and her newborn, especially within the first hour of life, “Golden Hour”, when uninterrupted skin to skin contact is most important. Despite the campaigns of various hospitals, clinics, and health advocates, to become “Baby Friendly”, there is a considerable resistance to the natural practice of breastfeeding, and little information is known about the barriers to breastfeeding especially among low-income Hispanic women.
Methods: A systematic review of articles pertaining to barriers and facilitators to exclusive breast feeding among low-income pregnant and lactating Hispanic women. We search Google Scholar, PubMed, PsycInfo, Medline, Cinahl, and BMJ Journals. We used Keywords: exclusive breastfeeding, Hispanic women, low socio-economic population, pregnant and lactating Hispanic women, breastfeeding benefits, barriers to breastfeeding, and health promotion for breastfeeding. We extracted the data related to all the items mentioned. We found 2,369 articles and 288 articles were systematically reviewed for barriers to exclusive breast feeding among Hispanic women.
Results: Our study showed that the most frequent barriers to the implementation and sustainability of breastfeeding were poor and incorrect knowledge about the advantages of breastfeeding; health professionals’ advice; development of sore nipples due to poor latch and technique; breast milk supply has not built up properly; miss-information related to stopping of breastfeeding because of some medication or illness in her or her baby; mother’s return to work and is not able to pump or store breast milk in the workplace; lack of support from family, friends, and significant others; misconception derived from infomercials about superiority of artificial milk formula; teen mother’s refusal to breastfeed, fearing peer pressure or unwanted effects on their breasts; poor self-image of continued breastfeeding; lack of role models who actually breastfeed and successfully sustained it for six months and beyond; and inconvenience and discomfort of breastfeeding after delivery, anesthesia, or surgery.
Implications: Many barriers to sustainable breastfeeding were identified. There is a need for a culturally and linguistically appropriate breastfeeding benefit awareness programs that will include measures to overcome the barriers and can be implemented with a combined efforts of health care providers and community partners to have a favorable impact on Hispanic women to practice exclusive breastfeeding.