The Influence of Infants’ Characteristics on Breastfeeding Attitudes among Jordanian Mothers

Background: Breastfeeding is the desired nutritional method for infants. Some infants’ characteristics were found influential to mothers’ point of views toward breastfeeding. However, the relationship between infants’ characteristics and mothers’ attitudes toward breastfeeding is still uncertain. The aim of this study was to assess infants’ characteristics and their impact on Jordanian mothers’ attitudes toward breastfeeding. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. A sample of 130 mothers was selected conveniently from mothers attending four major governmental maternal-child health centers at Zarqa city in Jordan. The Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale along with infants’ characteristics data sheet were used for data collection. Results: A more positive attitude toward breastfeeding was manifest (mean 63.5, SD: 4.67). Positive attitudes toward breastfeeding were higher among women who delivered normally than women who delivered by cesarean section (p = 0.040). In addition, women who had healthy infants were more likely to have positive attitudes toward breastfeeding compared to women with ill infants (p = 0.021). However, women with preterm deliveries were less likely to have positive attitudes compared to women with full-term deliveries (p = 0.013). Likewise, women whose infants admitted to neonatal intensive care unit recorded less positive attitudes toward breastfeeding than women with healthy neonates (p = 0.043). Gestational age, admission to neonatal intensive care unit, infant’s health status, and type of delivery, were factors influencing mothers’ attitudes towards breastfeeding. Conclusions: Jordanian mothers have positive attitudes toward breastfeeding. However, positive attitudes are subject to different infants’ characteristics that should be considered while undertaking heath education programs for promoting breastfeeding. More focusing is recommended for women who delivered preterm infants, women who have ill infants, and women who delivered by cesarean section.