Influences on infant-feeding beliefs and practices in an urban aboriginal community.

: The Victorian Aboriginal Health Service initiated a project to increase breastfeeding rates in the Melbourne Aboriginal community. The results of focus–group discussions on infant–feeding experiences and beliefs provided a wealth of information for the design of appropriate interventions. Most women wanted and expected to breast–feed. Some chose artificial feeding because of embarrassment, a belief that it is as good as breast–feeding, or perceptions that breast–feeding is painful and inconvenient. The most common reasons that women stopped breast–feeding were sore nipples, worries about their supply of milk and tiredness. Lack of knowledge, hospital practices, lack of support and appropriate advice, and lack of confidence and self–esteem contributed to these problems. Disruption of the passing on of knowledge of healthy infant–feeding practices between generations is another cultural loss suffered by Aboriginal communities. Efforts to restore traditional rates of breast–feeding need to be under Aboriginal control and to take account of these influences. (Aust N Z J Public Health 1997; 21: 504–10)