Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Economic and Social Research Institute, Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Nutrients. 2014 May 2;6(5):1832-49. doi: 10.3390/nu6051832.
Early nutrition plays a pivotal role in long-term health. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life, with the gradual introduction of solids after this period. However, studies in the Republic of Ireland (ROI) have shown poor compliance with guidelines. The ROI continues to have one of the lowest breastfeeding rates worldwide. Our objective was to analyse differences in breastfeeding and complimentary feeding behaviours between Irish and non-Irish mothers residing in the ROI, as well as the role of acculturation on these behaviours, using the national longitudinal study, Growing Up in Ireland (GUI). Mothers (n = 11,134) residing in the ROI were interviewed when their infants were nine months of age. The percentage of Irish mothers who initiated breastfeeding was 49.5%, as opposed to 88.1% among the non-Irish cohort (p < 0.001). Breastfeeding initiation reduced from 89.4% of non-Irish mothers who had arrived within the last year to five years ago to 67.5% for those who had arrived 11 to >20 years ago (p < 0.001). Our results indicate that cultural differences are an important factor in shaping patterns of infant feeding in the ROI. Reviewing existing support and education policies for parents is required to achieve the implementation of desirable infant feeding practices.
早期营养对长期健康起着关键作用。世界卫生组织（WHO）建议在生命的头六个月内进行纯母乳喂养，在此之后逐渐引入固体食物。然而，爱尔兰共和国（ROI）的研究表明，人们对这些指南的遵守情况不佳。ROI 仍然是全球母乳喂养率最低的国家之一。我们的目的是使用全国纵向研究“在爱尔兰成长”（GUI）来分析居住在 ROI 的爱尔兰和非爱尔兰母亲在母乳喂养和补充喂养行为方面的差异，以及文化适应在这些行为中的作用。当婴儿九个月大时，对居住在 ROI 的母亲进行了访谈。开始母乳喂养的爱尔兰母亲比例为 49.5%，而非爱尔兰母亲的这一比例为 88.1%（p<0.001）。母乳喂养的起始率从最近一年至五年前来的非爱尔兰母亲的 89.4%降至 11 至>20 年前来的母亲的 67.5%（p<0.001）。我们的结果表明，文化差异是塑造 ROI 婴儿喂养模式的一个重要因素。需要审查现有的父母支持和教育政策，以实现理想的婴儿喂养实践的实施。
