Breast-Feeding Practices of Former Soviet Women in Their Homelands and After Immigration

Abstract

LEARNING OUTCOME:To identify five practices regarding breast-feeding before and after immigration of former Soviet women. A trend from breast-feeding to commercial infant formula has been described for most immigrant groups studied. However, since the breakup of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), immigrants from the newly independent republics are arriving in the United States (US) and there is very little information about this population. This study examined the incidence and duration of breast-feeding before and after immigration of former Soviet immigrants. Forty-five former Soviet women who delivered babies in both the former USSR and the US were recruited from Women, Infant, Children Supplemental Food Program (WIC) clinics in Washington State. They answered a pre-tested Russian questionnaire about infant feeding practices and beliefs. There were no significant differences in breast-feeding initiation or duration between the USSR and US. In the USSR, 98% initiated breast-feeding compared to 100% in the US. Mean duration of exclusive breast-feeding in the USSR was 22.8 ± 22.4 weeks, compared with 25.8 ± 22.7 weeks in the US. Their primary reason for breast-feeding was that it is “healthier for the baby,” with 93% listing it as the healthiest way to feed a baby. “Not enough breast-milk” received the highest score as the reason for cessation of breast-feeding. The majority of mothers had household help after the birth of the child in both countries, with the father and grandmother providing most of the help in the USSR. However, grandmothers were not as available in the US, so fathers provided more support in the US than in the USSR. Although former Soviet women perceive that breast-feeding is more embarrassing and less popular in the US than in their homelands, they continue their traditional practices after immigration. These results indicate that former Soviet women do not follow the trend of other immigrant groups away from breast feeding. This may be due to that fact that the participants came from cultural and/or religious backgrounds that value breast-feeding, and they strongly believe that breast-feeding is healthy for the baby.