Infant feeding practices of migrant Mexican‐American families in Northern California

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Abstract
Information on infant feeding practices was obtained for 226 children of 90 migrant Mexican‐American mothers. Of children born during 1975–1981, 56 per cent were breastfed at birth, 38 per cent at 3 months, 21 per cent at 6 months, and 3 per cent at 12 months. Thirty percent of breastfed children were given a supplementary bottle from birth. A variety of nonmilk liquids and semisolids were also given by bottle. Breast‐feeding incidence increased from 41 to 58 per cent between 1975–78 and 1978–81 among children born in the U.S., paralleling national trends. Children born after their parents came to the U.S. were less likely to be breastfed than those born before the first move, even if they were born in Mexico on a subsequent return trip. In contrast, birthplace of the child was not related to incidence or duration of breastfeeding among children born after their parents first came to the U.S. Although maternal employment was not statistically related to decreased breastfeeding, it was a stated reason for bottle‐feeding 33 per cent of children born in the U.S. Thus, both cultural and economic pressures influence infant feeding decisions of Mexican‐American migrants.