ArticleBMJ open2012
A serial qualitative interview study of infant feeding experiences: idealism meets realism.
Article in BMJ open, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 70 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
70 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Breastfeeding experiences of women with perinatal mental health problems: a systematic review and thematic synthesis.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2024Pooled it
- Parental engagement with complementary feeding information in the United Kingdom: A qualitative evidence synthesis.Maternal & child nutrition · 2023Pooled it
- Guilt, shame, and postpartum infant feeding outcomes: A systematic review.Maternal & child nutrition · 2021Pooled it
- Relatively speaking? Partners' and family members' views and experiences of supporting breastfeeding: a systematic review of qualitative evidence.Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2021Pooled it
- The impact of the UK Baby Friendly Initiative on maternal and infant health outcomes: A mixed-methods systematic review.Maternal & child nutrition · 2019Pooled it
- Men's views and experiences of infant feeding: A qualitative systematic review.Maternal & child nutrition · 2018Pooled it
- A realist review of one-to-one breastfeeding peer support experiments conducted in developed country settings.Maternal & child nutrition · 2018Pooled it
- Exploring the use and experience of an infant feeding genogram to facilitate an assets-based approach to support infant feeding.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2020Trial
- Trial
- Breastfeeding Support in the Early Postpartum: Content of Home Visits in the SILC Trial.Birth (Berkeley, Calif.) · 2016Trial
- Supporting breastfeeding In Local Communities (SILC) in Victoria, Australia: a cluster randomised controlled trial.BMJ open · 2016Trial
- Supporting breastfeeding In Local Communities (SILC): protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2014Trial
- Social circumstances that drive early introduction of formula milk: an exploratory qualitative study in a peri-urban South African community.Maternal & child nutrition · 2014Trial
- Long-term breastfeeding mothers' perspectives on the warm chain's support.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2026Article
- Does planning to mixed feed undermine breastfeeding?Maternal & child nutrition · 2024Article
- Article
- Newborn Feeding Knowledge and Attitudes among Medical Students.European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education · 2023Article
- Supporting women with learning disabilities in infant feeding decisions: UK health care professionals' experiences.Maternal & child nutrition · 2023Article
- Parenting stress in the early years - a survey of the impact of breastfeeding and social support for women in Finland and the UK.BMC pregnancy and childbirth · 2022Article
- Well-Informed and Willing, but Breastfeeding Does Not Work: A Qualitative Study on Perceived Support from Health Professionals among German Mothers with Breastfeeding Problems.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2022Article
10 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
- Commented on by
- Erratum issuedCorrection.2012
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveTo investigate the infant feeding experiences of women and their significant others from pregnancy until 6 months after birth to establish what would make a difference.
designQualitative serial interview study.
settingTwo health boards in Scotland.
participants72 of 541 invited pregnant women volunteered. 220 interviews approximately every 4 weeks with 36 women, 26 partners, eight maternal mothers, one sister and two health professionals took place.
resultsThe overarching theme was a clash between overt or covert infant feeding idealism and the reality experienced. This is manifest as pivotal points where families perceive that the only solution that will restore family well-being is to stop breast feeding or introduce solids. Immediate family well-being is the overriding goal rather than theoretical longer term health benefits. Feeding education is perceived as unrealistic, overly technical and rules based which can undermine women's confidence. Unanimously families would prefer the balance to shift away from antenatal theory towards more help immediately after birth and at 3-4 months when solids are being considered. Family-orientated interactive discussions are valued above breastfeeding-centred checklist style encounters.
conclusionsAdopting idealistic global policy goals like exclusive breast feeding until 6 months as individual goals for women is unhelpful. More achievable incremental goals are recommended. Using a proactive family-centred narrative approach to feeding care might enable pivotal points to be anticipated and resolved. More attention to the diverse values, meanings and emotions around infant feeding within families could help to reconcile health ideals with reality.
Identifiers
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.