Leung E Y L, Au K Y A, Cheng S S W, Kok S Y, Lui H K, Wong W C W
Department of Community and Family Medicine, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Med J. 2006 Dec;12(6):432-6.
To describe the patterns of and factors affecting breastfeeding and to find out any significant relationship between breastfeeding and health of the child.
Cohort study.
Postnatal ward of the Prince of Wales Hospital.
A total of 243 infants born in 1998 to 2001 at the hospital. Each infant was followed up for 3 years. Home visits were carried out at 3, 15, 24, and 36 months of age by medical students from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. A questionnaire was completed at each visit. Independent sample t-tests and Pearson Chi squared tests were used.
Of the 243 subjects, 213 provided data on the method of infant feeding. There were 66.7% of mothers initiating breastfeeding, with a median duration of 1 month. Only 13.4% met the World Health Organization's recommendations on breastfeeding. Breastfeeding was found to have a statistically significant relationship with (i) the infant's birth order and (ii) the mother's and father's education level. During follow-up, 44.6% of the infants were hospitalised but there was no significant relationship between breastfeeding and number of hospitalisations.
The current breastfeeding rate in Hong Kong falls below expectations when compared with other developed nations. To raise this rate, more support is needed for families with parents having a lower education level or more than two children, as they are the least likely to breastfeed. This might be achieved by encouraging antenatal class attendance, counselling of husbands, and more support for breastfeeding from doctors.
描述母乳喂养的模式及影响因素，并找出母乳喂养与儿童健康之间的任何显著关系。
队列研究。
威尔士亲王医院产后病房。
1998年至2001年在该医院出生的243名婴儿。对每名婴儿进行了3年的随访。香港中文大学的医科学生在婴儿3、15、24和36个月大时进行家访。每次家访时填写一份问卷。使用独立样本t检验和Pearson卡方检验。
在243名研究对象中，213人提供了婴儿喂养方式的数据。66.7%的母亲开始进行母乳喂养，母乳喂养的中位持续时间为1个月。只有13.4%的母亲达到了世界卫生组织关于母乳喂养的建议。研究发现母乳喂养与（i）婴儿的出生顺序以及（ii）母亲和父亲的教育水平存在统计学上的显著关系。在随访期间，44.6%的婴儿住院，但母乳喂养与住院次数之间没有显著关系。
与其他发达国家相比，香港目前的母乳喂养率低于预期。为了提高这一比率，需要为父母教育水平较低或子女超过两个的家庭提供更多支持，因为这些家庭进行母乳喂养的可能性最小。这可以通过鼓励参加产前课程、对丈夫进行咨询以及医生对母乳喂养提供更多支持来实现。
