Dealing with Complexity: Infant Feeding Choices v1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Dealing with Complexity: Infant Feeding Choices and Experiences for Mothers with Infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Units and Transitional Care Wards
IRAS ID
188600
Contact name
Gayle Letherby
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Plymouth University
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
There is extensive research that documents the diverse and compelling maternal, infant, societal, economic and environmental advantages of breastfeeding or giving infants human breast milk. The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) was launched by the United Nations Children’ Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1992. This initiative developed guidelines for the promotion and support of breastfeeding to help increase breastfeeding duration and exclusivity in the normal healthy term baby. There have been several revisions of the BFI to include infants cared for in Neonatal Intensive Care Units and mothers who formula feed their babies and the principals of BFI adapted to incorporate this inclusion.
In this study we wish to explore the issue of ‘Dealing with Complexity: Infant Feeding Choices and Experiences for Mothers with Infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU) and Transitional Care Wards (TCW)’. The study will be undertaken over a three month period in NICU and TCW and we would like to explore the knowledge and understanding of infant feeding of mothers’ with infants in NICU and TCW and the support mothers get from healthcare professionals in this situation. We will be observing healthcare professionals caring for infants in NICU and TCW to gain an understanding of the support they give to mothers.
We will be interviewing mothers who have or have had a baby in NICU and TCW as we wish to investigate the influence a mothers knowledge and understanding has on her choice of infant feeding, and her experiences of infant feeding, We would also like to investigate the challenges of infant feeding in NICU and TCW, the support mothers receive from healthcare professionals and significant others and look at the significance of their self-identity and perception as ‘good’ or ‘not so good’ mothers in relation to feeding choices.REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/SW/0308
Date of REC Opinion
13 Nov 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion