Breast feeding among the Chinese in four countries.

Abstract

This paper examines various aspects of breastfeeding among the Chinese residing in 4 countries: 1) in Sarawak a semiwesternized Malay society; 2) in Singapore a westernized Chinese society; 3) in Peoples Republic of China communist Chinese society and; 4) in Britain. In Sarawak the newly delivered mother and her infant are customarily secluded in the house for 30 days creating an atmosphere ideal for breastfeeding and maternal-child bonding. In spite of this custom however only 67% of urbanized mothers breastfed their babies and of these only 25% and 10% of mothers breastfed their babies for longer than 7 months and 3 months respectively. Incidence of breastfeeding is much higher in the Chinese-educated Chinese (80%) than the English-educated mothers (37.5%) but there is no difference in duration of breastfeeding for the 2 groups. In the Peoples Republic breastfeeding is universally practiced accounting for the virtual elimination of infantile malnutrition. Duration of breastfeeding appears to be declining though (infants are breastfed for 7 or 8 months compared to the customary 12 months; in rural areas babies are breastfed for at least 18 months). Data on breastfeeding in China are scarce and fragmentary. A more detailed study of breastfeeding in China should be useful to other developing countries. In Singapore the decline in the incidence and duration of breastfeeding is more marked among the poor Chinese than among the wealthy Chinese due to urbanization Westernization milk powder commercialization and womens liberation. In 1971 incidence of breastfeeding at birth was 30% for the poor and 50% for the wealthy. A vigorous breastfeeding campaign is currently underway to promote breastfeeding in Singapore. In Britain only 2% of Chinese babies are breastfed and reasons given by mothers are inconvenience insufficient milk and unfashionable. It appears that environment has a marked effect on the practice of breastfeeding.