Muslim Women’s Practice on Wet Nursing and Milk Siblinghood: A Descriptive Quantitative Study

Abstract

ObjectivesThis study examines the prevalence of wet nursing and milk siblinghood practice among Muslim women in Selangor, Malaysia. MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 Muslim women in Selangor who had breastfed another child. Data were obtained using a validated self-administered questionnaire (Cronbach alpha = 0.8) and descriptive analysis was done using SPSS software. ResultsResults showed 43.0% of respondents had at least breastfed one someone else’s child. Meanwhile, 3.0% of the respondents nursed seven to ten other children. A total of 237 children were breastfed by the respondents (n = 100). Of these, only 78.5% were breastfed five times, while 21.5% were breastfed less than five times. Most mothers recorded their milk child background data, which shows that the community is aware of the importance of data documentation. ConclusionsThis study showed that there is a wet nursing practice among the Muslim women in Malaysia. Documentation is essential to avoid any potential difficulties in establishing the mahram relationship through breast milk. Research and issues pertaining to wet nursing and milk siblinghood might continue to bring a great deal of good to society. Funding SourcesThe authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article through a grant from Selangor Islamic Religious Council, Malaysia.