Mothers Survey
National Infant Feeding Poll Results -- Moms Across the Country Have Spoken!
Below are highlights from a poll of mothers across the country about infant feeding issues. The study was conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner and Public Opinion Strategies and surveyed over 800 moms with children under 12 months old. According to the firm, mothers of multiples, premature babies and adopted babies were screened out, because these mothers may have special circumstances that uniquely influenced decisions about how to feed their children. Overall, the survey confirms what we already knew here at MFF -- moms want and need all information on infant feeding options as well as the choice to make the best decision for them and their families.
- Most (83%) mothers make their infant feeding choice before reaching the hospital; most (53%) also change feeding methods in the first year.
- An 84% majority of mothers recognize breastfeeding is the healthiest choice for their baby and 79% agree breastfeeding is the healthiest choice for themselves.
- When asked which government actions would be most effective in helping increase breastfeeding initiation and duration in the United States, most mothers supported actions that help mothers after they leave the hospital. Government-supported actions most favored by mothers included: guaranteed paid maternity leave or longer maternity leave (33%); providing more support from health care professionals after mothers leave the hospital (17%); and providing support for breastfeeding in the workplace (13%). For mothers who participate in the federally-sponsored Women Infants Children (WIC) program, the most common response was that the government could provide more support for non-food items like a breast pump (29%).
- A near-unanimous 94% of mothers describe infant formula as safe and 68% describe it as very safe.
- Above all, mothers want information, flexibility and choice when it comes to infant feeding decisions. A 78% majority believe new mothers should receive information on breastfeeding and other feeding options so they can make an informed choice and mothers should not have the information they receive restricted.
- 83% oppose the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) when they learn that a BFHI hospital is prohibited from providing infant formula samples or literature to new mothers.
- Almost all mothers (92%) approve of the practice of hospitals distributing diaper bags that include free samples of infant formula.
- These samples do not influence infant feeding formula decisions. 73% of mothers said infant formula samples were either a minor or no influence on their infant feeding decision.
RN Video Series: Great Information Resource for Parents on Infant Feeding Issues
Seeing the growing need for information on infant feeding both for breastfeeding and bottle feeding parents, we at MFF, with registered
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