Department of Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.
School of Biological and Health Sciences, Technological University Dublin, Kevin Street, Dublin 8, Ireland.
Int Breastfeed J. 2020 May 20;15(1):47. doi: 10.1186/s13006-020-00292-x.
The prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding for at least 4 months was previously found to be very low among Chinese immigrants in Ireland, at 5.8% (Zhou et al., Front Public Health 6:351, 2018). This study investigates the successful experiences of Chinese mothers living in Ireland who exclusively breastfeed for between four and 6 months.
Participants were recruited from the sample of the Ireland Chinese Mother Survey. Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with fourteen participants in their homes or public places.
A content analysis revealed that various factors contributed to a successful experience of exclusive breastfeeding among the group of Chinese immigrant mothers, including strong self-determination; appropriate physical conditions; awareness of the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding; a lack of time constraints; and family, professional and policy support. The barriers that the mothers faced included the difficulty of balancing breastfeeding and employment, infant health issues, language barriers, an inability to consume the traditional Chinese postpartum diet and a lack of public breastfeeding facilities. Measures taken to overcome these barriers included seeking family support, resting during the lactation period, and pumping breast milk to feed from a bottle when outside the home.
This study highlights unique factors affecting exclusive breastfeeding among Chinese mothers in Ireland, which may be useful to health care professionals working with Chinese immigrant women internationally.
此前研究发现，爱尔兰的中国移民中，纯母乳喂养至少 4 个月的比例非常低，仅为 5.8%（Zhou 等人，Front Public Health 6:351, 2018）。本研究旨在调查在爱尔兰生活的纯母乳喂养 4 至 6 个月的中国母亲的成功经验。
参与者从爱尔兰华人母亲调查的样本中招募。对 14 名参与者在其家中或公共场所进行了深入的定性访谈。
内容分析显示，多种因素促成了这群中国移民母亲成功实现纯母乳喂养，包括强烈的自我决定；适当的身体条件；对纯母乳喂养益处的认识；没有时间限制；以及家庭、专业和政策支持。母亲们面临的障碍包括母乳喂养和就业之间的平衡困难、婴儿健康问题、语言障碍、无法食用传统的中国产后饮食以及缺乏公共哺乳设施。为克服这些障碍而采取的措施包括寻求家庭支持、哺乳期休息和在家外使用吸奶器瓶喂。
本研究强调了影响爱尔兰中国母亲纯母乳喂养的独特因素，这可能对国际上与中国移民妇女合作的医疗保健专业人员有用。
