Work related determinants of breastfeeding discontinuation among employed mothers in Malaysia

A structured questionnaire was used in conducting this study involving all government health clinics in Petaling district between July and September 2006. Respondents were Malaysian women with children between the ages of six to twelve months who were formally employed. Factors studied were selected socio-demographic and work-related characteristics.From a total of 290 respondents, 51% discontinued breastfeeding. The majority (54%) of mothers who discontinued breastfeeding had breastfed their babies for less than three months. Compared to Malay mothers, the risk of breastfeeding discontinuation were higher among Chinese (AOR 3.7, 95% CI: 1.7, 7.8) and Indian mothers (AOR 7.3, 95% CI 1.9, 27.4). Not having adequate breastfeeding facilities at the workplace was also a risk factor for breastfeeding discontinuation (AOR 1.8, 95% CI: 1.05, 3.1).It is important that workplaces provide adequate breastfeeding facilities such as a room in which to express breast milk and a refrigerator, and allow mothers flexible time to express breast milk.Increasing women's participation in the labour force is frequently blamed for the low rate of breastfeeding. Statistics from the Malaysian population and housing census showed an increasing trend in women's labour force participation from 30.8% (1957) to 47.7% (2003) [1]. The prevalence of ever breastfed declined from 92% (1950) to 78% (1974) but rose to 85% and 94.7% respectively in 1988 and 2006 [2,3]. The rise was explained by the introduction of the Malaysian Code of Ethics for Infant Formula Products in 1979. This code of ethics is to ensure the provision of safe and adequate nutrition among infants and an adequate standard and proper use of infant formula products. In addition, legal provisions were also included in the Food Regulations (1985) to promote breastfeeding [4]. Malaysian women employed in the public sector are given two months maternity leave while those working in the private sector are given a slightly longer leave of