Bottle-feeding as an Infant Feeding Modality

Infant feeding is fundamental for the survival of infants. Globally and within Australia, many families use bottle-feeding as their primary feeding mode or in combination with breastfeeding. Yet there is an absence of literature that describes the act of bottle-feeding as an infant feeding modality. The overall goal of this study was to improve the support of parents and infants using bottles as their infant. To reach this goal, it was essential to (i) understand and define the parts involved in the act of bottle-feeding, and (ii) understand what parents and nurses know, and what they want to know about bottle-feeding. This study used System Theory to conceptualise the co-dependent and interconnected parts that are involved in the bottle-feeding act. This mixed methods project aimed to explore parents’ and nurses’ experiences, sources of education and informational needs about bottle-feeding. Additionally, parent-child interactions during a bottle-feed were evaluated to gain insight into parents’ understanding of responsive feeding practices. The data were collected using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. Data analysis consisted of thematic analysis for the qualitative component, and descriptive statistics for the quantitative component. The findings of the parent interviews and the nurse focus groups informed their respective surveys. All data sets demonstrated parents and nurses lacked and required information on bottles, teats, and formula, as well as the differences between these products. The main barrier for parents and nurses in obtaining bottle-feeding information was the breastfeeding culture dominant in society and health services. The main enabler was parents and nurses working in partnership to achieve the desired goals. The relevance of this study is that bottle-feeding knowledge contributes to the provision of equitable care and education of parents using this infant feeding modality. It can help to improve outcomes for infants and parents who need or choose to use a bottle when feeding. For the nurses, it enables them to fulfil their professional obligations of practice. This study provides a new perspective on the age-old phenomenon of bottle-feeding. This study was not about breastfeeding or breast milk versus bottle-feeding or formula as a source of infant feeding or nutrition. It was an enquiry into the understanding of parents' and nurses’ perspectives on bottle-feeding.

Author dc:creator

• Kotowski, Judith A.

Statement dc:rights

• info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
• The author owns the copyright in this thesis including all reproduction and reuse rights for the work. The work may not be altered without the permission of the copyright owner. Attribution is essential when quoting or paraphrasing from this thesis.
• © 2022 Judith A. Kotowski
• au.edu.uts.lib/ppc

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/171482

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:opus.lib.uts.edu.au:10453/171482