Mothers from developed countries with a prominent Catholic heritage are less likely to breastfeed their babies, new research published in the BMJ Global Health
Speculating about the ramifications their findings had on efforts to encourage women to breastfeed, the authors concluded promotional material may need to be adapted accordingly, to reflect "socio-cultural background".
They said: "Our results suggest that women living in a country or region where Catholicism has historically dominated are less likely to initiate breastfeeding, and that breastfeeding promotion policies should be adapted to better fit populations' cultural and religious norms."
Data on breastfeeding rates and figures regarding Catholic and Protestant populations from 135 countries were included in the research, which also examined regional statistics from the UK, Ireland, France, the USA and Canada.
Calling for more research to examine their finding, the authors added: "Studies are also necessary to identify the sociocultural values and beliefs that mediate the relationships between a historically Catholic family or societal background and breast feeding."
A Monthly Gift Of $11 Makes A World Of Difference
In a world of fake news there’s never been a greater need for quality Christian journalism. Premier’s mission is to provide the Church with the most up to date and relevant news, told from a Christian perspective. But we can’t do it without you.
Unlike many websites we haven't put up a paywall — we want to keep our journalism free at the point of need and as open as we can. Premier’s news output takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. No one in the USA is sharing news like we are across radio, magazines and online so please help us to continue that today.
For a monthly gift of $11 or more we’d also be able to send you a free copy of the brand new Premier Bible, a wonderful Anglicised version of the NLT packed with exclusive bonus content, reading plan and resources to help you get the most out of scripture.
Your monthly support will make a world of difference. Thank you.
Support Us
