Utilization of Lactation Station and Lactation Breaks and Its Association With the Duration of Breastfeeding Among Filipino Mothers With Children Aged 0-23 Months
Mildred L. Ocampo-Guirindola*, Ma. Lynell M. Valdeabella-Maniego, and Keren Faye M. Gaya
Nutritional Assessment and Monitoring Division, Food and Nutrition Research Institute,
Department of Science and Technology, Bicutan, Taguig City, Philippines
*Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
ABSTRACT
The Philippine Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009 (RA 10028) mandates all health and non-health facilities, establishments, and institutions to put up a lactation station and to provide lactation breaks to all nursing employees in addition to their regular breaks. This is to encourage, protect, and support the practice of breastfeeding. The study aimed to determine the association between the utilization of lactation station and lactation breaks with the duration of breastfeeding among mothers with children aged 0-23 months. This is a cross-sectional study using data from the DOST-FNRI survey entitled “2015 Updating of the Nutritional Status of Filipino Children and other Population Groups”. Mothers’ profile and knowledge and practices on infant feeding were gathered through face-to-face interview. Association between breastfeeding duration with the use of lactation station and lactation break was tested using Chi-square test at 5% level of significance. Out of the 5,131 mothers, only 7.8% cited using lactation stations while out of the 399 working mothers who were breastfeeding, 35.1% availed lactation breaks. The use of lactation station was positively associated with longer breastfeeding duration (p<0.01), but no association was noted between taking lactation breaks and breastfeeding duration. This study provided evidence that mothers who utilized lactation station breastfeeds longer. Continuous effort is needed to strengthen the awareness to and implementation of the provisions of RA 10028 to ensure that public and private organizations will establish lactation stations in the workplace and grant lactation breaks to working mothers.
Key words: breastfeeding, duration of breastfeeding, lactation breaks, lactation station
INTRODUCTION
The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding of infants exclusively for six months and continuous breastfeeding up to two years and beyond. Continuous breastfeeding after six months with appropriate and adequate complementary foods help the child grow strong and healthy (WHO & DOH 2015). Aside from the nutritional content of breast milk, breastfeeding provides immune protection against many illnesses and provides closeness and contact between the mother and the infant that helps in the psychological development of the child (ILO 2015). Conversely, diarrhea and pneumonia are more common and severe among artificially-fed children (WHO 2009). Aside from the health benefits of breastfeeding, it also generates savings for women, families, communities, health systems, and countries (McFadden et al. 2015). . . . . . read more
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