ABSTRACT
PIP: A study was conducted into infant feeding regimens among 150 Jamaican women. The target population was limited to women living in the Kingston-St. Andrews Corporate area and attending hospitals or clinics where nutrition education was offered. Subjects were questioned as to obstetric history, socio-economic status, sources of information, and infant feeding habits. Nearly all infants in the study were weaned by 1 year of age with a nearly equal number being weaned in the 1st 6 months and the 2nd 6 months. Mothers who never breast fed their infants or weaned early did so for unavoidable reasons, e.g., maternal illness, infant prematurity or hospitalization, or insufficient milk. Most weaning due to these reasons occurred within the 1st 6 months of life. More than 1/2 of the women did not have clearly defined physiological reasons for discontinuing breast feeding. Income and place of residence were not related to the decision to cease breast feeding. Women attending private clinics and receiving information on infant nutrition from health personnel tended to breast feed for a longer time. 18 commercial infant food products were available. 15 of these were a form of processed cow's milk requiring a measure of skill in preparing. The rest were goat's milk, cow's milk, or gruel. 40% of the women in the study used more than 1 of these commercial preparations, indicating a general preference for formulas rather than for a particular brand name. There is a question as to whether the wide availability of these products actually influenced women's decisions to discontinue breast feeding.^ieng