Citation

Bullock LF, Libbus MK, Sable MR. Can. J. Nurs. Res. 2001; 32(4): 43-56.

Affiliation

Sinclair School of Nursing, University of Missouri, Columbia, USA. LBullock@missouri.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2001, McGill University School of Nursing, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

11928301

Abstract

The study reported in this paper was based on the hypothesis that women who are victims of domestic violence may be less likely to select breastfeeding than women who are not abused. Informed consent was obtained from 212 women at 2 Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Nutritional Supplemental Program clinics in the Midwestern United States. The Abuse Assessment Screen was administered by interview and women were also questioned about intended feeding choice and whether they had breastfed any previous children. No association was found between present or previous abuse and infant-feeding choice. Nevertheless, the findings of this study can be considered important, for two reasons: (1) this was an initial inquiry examining the relationship between having been abused and ability to choose the feeding method of a newborn; and (2) women in the sample who reported present or current abuse were able to breastfeed their infants in the same proportion as those who did not report abuse, which suggests that a woman's concern for her child overcomes her possible fears of control by the batterer.

Language: en