Mothers of children with down syndrome : A qualitative study of experiences of breastfeeding and breastfeeding support
(2022) In Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences 36(4). p.1156-1164- Abstract
Background: Children with down syndrome (DS) are breastfed to a lesser extent than infants in general, despite research showing that it is possible for these children to breastfeed successfully. Aim: The aim was to describe how mothers of children with DS experienced breastfeeding and breastfeeding support from healthcare professionals. Method: A qualitative study with an inductive approach. Individual interviews were performed with seven mothers from southern Sweden. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Result: The mothers felt that the support varied, as some healthcare professionals were supportive, while others had preconceptions regarding breastfeeding and DS. They also experienced that the guidelines... (More)
Background: Children with down syndrome (DS) are breastfed to a lesser extent than infants in general, despite research showing that it is possible for these children to breastfeed successfully. Aim: The aim was to describe how mothers of children with DS experienced breastfeeding and breastfeeding support from healthcare professionals. Method: A qualitative study with an inductive approach. Individual interviews were performed with seven mothers from southern Sweden. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Result: The mothers felt that the support varied, as some healthcare professionals were supportive, while others had preconceptions regarding breastfeeding and DS. They also experienced that the guidelines could be an obstacle in the encounter with healthcare professionals thereby affecting the possibility to establish breastfeeding. Information and support were important to the mothers, and when insufficient, they turned to the internet for help. Conclusions: Mothers felt that healthcare professionals were bound to ward routines and guidelines, which could be contrary to their own and the family's wishes. They were also sensitive to the attitudes of healthcare professionals, which can affect their own state of mind. Healthcare professionals' preconceptions regarding breastfeeding and DS have not changed, despite research showing that infants with DS can breastfeed successfully. Increased awareness of the possibility to breastfeed an infant with DS is needed to provide better support to mothers.
(Less)
- author
- Jönsson, Lisbeth LU ; Olsson Tyby, Christina ; Hullfors, Sara and Lundqvist, Pia LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2022-12
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- breastfeeding, breastfeeding support, down syndrome, experiences, mothers
- in
- Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences
- volume
- 36
- issue
- 4
- pages
- 9 pages
- publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:35582826
- scopus:85130220662
- ISSN
- 0283-9318
- DOI
- 10.1111/scs.13088
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Funding Information: The authors are grateful to the mothers who participated in the study and to Monique Federsel for revising the language. The study was supported by the Mjölkdroppen foundation, Helsingborg Sweden (No grant number). Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Nordic College of Caring Science.
- id
- 72c1511c-a353-48c9-96ee-f6249c486f74
- date added to LUP
- 2022-12-30 12:45:09
- date last changed
- 2024-04-15 00:15:09
@article{72c1511c-a353-48c9-96ee-f6249c486f74,
abstract = {{<p>Background: Children with down syndrome (DS) are breastfed to a lesser extent than infants in general, despite research showing that it is possible for these children to breastfeed successfully. Aim: The aim was to describe how mothers of children with DS experienced breastfeeding and breastfeeding support from healthcare professionals. Method: A qualitative study with an inductive approach. Individual interviews were performed with seven mothers from southern Sweden. The interviews were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Result: The mothers felt that the support varied, as some healthcare professionals were supportive, while others had preconceptions regarding breastfeeding and DS. They also experienced that the guidelines could be an obstacle in the encounter with healthcare professionals thereby affecting the possibility to establish breastfeeding. Information and support were important to the mothers, and when insufficient, they turned to the internet for help. Conclusions: Mothers felt that healthcare professionals were bound to ward routines and guidelines, which could be contrary to their own and the family's wishes. They were also sensitive to the attitudes of healthcare professionals, which can affect their own state of mind. Healthcare professionals' preconceptions regarding breastfeeding and DS have not changed, despite research showing that infants with DS can breastfeed successfully. Increased awareness of the possibility to breastfeed an infant with DS is needed to provide better support to mothers.</p>}},
author = {{Jönsson, Lisbeth and Olsson Tyby, Christina and Hullfors, Sara and Lundqvist, Pia}},
issn = {{0283-9318}},
keywords = {{breastfeeding; breastfeeding support; down syndrome; experiences; mothers}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{4}},
pages = {{1156--1164}},
publisher = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
series = {{Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences}},
title = {{Mothers of children with down syndrome : A qualitative study of experiences of breastfeeding and breastfeeding support}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/scs.13088}},
doi = {{10.1111/scs.13088}},
volume = {{36}},
year = {{2022}},
}