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Volume 4
Journal of Pediatric Care
ISSN: 2471-805X
Page 55
JOINT EVENT
May 07-08, 2018 Frankfurt, Germany
&
3
rd
International Conference on
Pediatrics and Pediatric Surgery
22
nd
Edition of International Conference on
Neonatology and Perinatology
Socio-cultural and environmental influences on infant feeding practices’of Brazilian immigrantmothers
living in the United States
Ana Cristina Lindsay
College of Nursing and Health Sciences - UMass Boston, USA
E
xclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life and timely introduction of appropriate solid foods are important
determinants of weight status in infancy and later life stages. Disparities in obesity rates among young children suggest that
maternal feeding practices during the first 2 years of life may contribute to these disparities. Brazilians are a growing immigrant
group in the United States, yet little research has focused on parental beliefs and behaviors affecting the health of Brazilian
immigrant children in the United States. This study aimed to explore beliefs and infant-feeding practices of Brazilian immigrant
mothers in the United States. Focus group discussions were conducted with Brazilian immigrant mothers. Transcripts were
analyzed using thematic analysis and themes categorized using the socio-ecological model. Twenty-nine immigrant Brazilian
mothers participated in the study. Analyses revealed that all participants breastfed their infants. The majority initiated
breastfeeding soon after childbirth. However, most mothers did not exclusively breastfeed. They used formula and human milk
concomitantly. Family and culture influenced mothers' infant-feeding beliefs and practices in early introduction of solid foods.
As the number of children in the United States growing up in families of immigrant parents increases, understanding influences
on Brazilian immigrant mothers' infant-feeding practices will be important to the development of effective interventions to
promote healthy infant feeding and weight status among Brazilian children. Interventions designed for Brazilian immigrant
families should incorporate an understanding of social context, family, and cultural factors to develop health promotion
messages tailored to the needs of this ethnic group.
Ana.Lindsay@umb.eduJ Pediatr Care, Volume 4
DOI: 10.21767/2471-805X-C2-009