Breastfeeding beliefs and practices in a baby-friendly hospital in Honduras

Background: Honduras has been the focus of breastfeeding research, specifically around studies of the value of 6 months of exclusive breastfeeding. The Honduran government encouraged the establishment of Baby-Friendly hospitals. Objective: To assess breastfeeding beliefs and practices in a pilot study at a Western Honduras Baby-Friendly hospital with 6,000 births per year. Methods: Taped interviews were performed with 8 women in December 2006, and evaluated for themes and content. We also examined 46 records of infants born at the hospital in 2006, to obtain data on clinic attendance and breastfeeding duration. Results: 100% of women exclusively breastfed postpartum. Themes that emerged included tradition as the reason women exclusively breastfeed (“that is the custom”). Rural women planned to breastfeed exclusively for longer than urban women, who said returning to work would curtail breastfeeding. Cost of formula was another theme: it was considered expensive, “a sacrifice”. Although women stated exclusive breastfeeding was “best”, most did not mention health benefits to breastfeeding. In the quantative data, of 46 women, 29 (63%) did not return for follow up. Of those returning, 100% stated intent to breastfeed exclusively; 100% exclusively breastfed at 1 month; 71% at 2 months, and 66% at 3 months. Conclusion: Exclusive breastfeeding is common, but curtailed by the need to work. Health benefits do not seem to motivate women to breastfeed exclusively, they were more likely to breastfeed because that was the traditional way to feed a baby.