Increasing Paternal Support for Breastfeeding

Exclusive breastfeeding in early infancy is recognized as the most affordable, appropriate, and readily-available source of nutrition for the baby. Despite the clear benefits of breastfeeding and recommendations by both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization, however, the vast majority of infants in the United States are not exclusively breastfed for six months. This presentation would discuss a literature review that identifies fathers as the most influential group besides mothers in the decision to breastfeed the child. Despite the fact that fathers are more influential than maternal grandmothers, friends, and physicians in determining infant feeding practices, there has been a dearth of public health interventions that intend to increase paternal support for breastfeeding. This presentation would also discuss the success of the few interventions that have specifically targeted fathers, and comment on the potential of paternal education as an underutilized and potentially very effective strategy to increase breastfeeding initiation and duration.