Largest Annual Global Breastfeeding Survey from Lansinoh Highlights Universal Challenges, Cultural Differences in the Breastfeeding Experience.
ALEXANDRIA, Va., Aug. 3, 2015 /CNW/ - Worldwide, nearly all women (96%) agree that breastfeeding is the best way to feed their children, still many women struggle to breastfeed for what they believe to be the ideal amount of time. The finding appears in The 2015 Lansinoh Global Breastfeeding Survey.
Women in Canada were most likely to meet their breastfeeding goals, where 65% said the ideal amount of time was six or more months, and all 65% actually breastfed for that long. Nearly 75% of women surveyed felt that the ideal length of time to breastfeed was longer than six months. In reality, only 62% of women were able to breastfeed for that length of time.
Part of the global struggle may be due to universal challenges women experience with breastfeeding. "The pain associated with breastfeeding" was the number one challenge of women in all countries surveyed with the exception of China where "waking up in the middle of the night" earned the top spot. Other common challenges include "how often I need to breastfeed my baby" and "learning how to breastfeed in the beginning."
Despite many similarities around the world, when it comes to breastfeeding in public, the reaction moms receive may be dependent on where they live. Overall, 38% of women surveyed said breastfeeding in public is "perfectly natural" and 32% said it was "embarrassing." In Canada, the rate was higher, with 55% of moms saying breastfeeding in public is "perfectly natural." Despite a relatively high acceptance rate among moms, women in Canada were among the most likely to say they had experienced criticism or prejudice for breastfeeding in public (42%).
"The results show that we are making progress and attitudes about breastfeeding are changing around the world. But we still have work to do. As countries debate policy and workplace benefits to support women, they must remember that these issues are not just topics for debate – they have a very real impact on the health of mothers and babies around the world," said Kevin Vyse-Peacock, CEO of Lansinoh.
The 2015 Lansinoh Global Breastfeeding Survey executive summary, data charts and accompanying infographics are available for download at www.lansinoh.com/globalsurvey2015.
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SOURCE Lansinoh
Image with caption: "Breastfeeding Attitudes and Behaviors in Canada (CNW Group/Lansinoh)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150804_C7283_PHOTO_EN_470304.jpg
Lisa Matthews, 202-706-7477, [email protected], http://www.lansinoh.com
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