Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-22dnz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-29T00:22:15.782Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The cost of infant feeding in Liverpool, England

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

K Berridge ,
AF Hackett ,
J Abayomi  and
SM Maxwell
K Berridge*
Affiliation:
School of the Outdoors, Leisure & Food, Liverpool John Moores University, Barkhill Road, Liverpool, L17 6BD, UK
AF Hackett
Affiliation:
School of the Outdoors, Leisure & Food, Liverpool John Moores University, Barkhill Road, Liverpool, L17 6BD, UK
J Abayomi
Affiliation:
School of the Outdoors, Leisure & Food, Liverpool John Moores University, Barkhill Road, Liverpool, L17 6BD, UK
SM Maxwell
Affiliation:
School of the Outdoors, Leisure & Food, Liverpool John Moores University, Barkhill Road, Liverpool, L17 6BD, UK
*
*Corresponding author: Email ecskberr@livjm.ac.uk
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Objective:

To investigate feeding practices in infants under the age of 4 months in Liverpool, England with particular reference to the cost of infant feeding.

Design:

A cross–sectional survey consisting of self–completion questionnaires and interviews.

Setting:

Subjects' homes within Central and South Liverpool Primary Care Trust areas.

Subjects:

One hundred and forty–nine women (aged 18 to 43 years) and their infants (mean age 13 weeks).

Results:

The average weekly cost of breast–feeding was £11.58 compared with £9.60 for formula–feeding. Many breast– and formula–feeding women spent money however on items that were not needed or used only once or twice. This was especially true of first–time mothers. Characteristics significantly associated with higher spending were: feeding method – mothers that had or were partially breast–feeding (P=0.001), education – those educated to degree level (P=0.028), socio–economic status – those in social classes I and II (P=0.002) and age – those aged 30 years and over (P=0.003).

Conclusions:

This study demonstrates that while breast–feeding is often promoted as being free, this is not the case. Better information needs to be given to parents to avoid wasting money on items that are unnecessary, or where cheaper alternatives are available.

Keywords

Breast-feedingFormula-feedingCost
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 7 , Issue 8 , December 2004 , pp. 1039 - 1046
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2004

References

1World Health Organization. The optimal duration of exclusive breast-feeding: results of a WHO systematic review. Indian Pediatrics 2001; 38: 565–7.Google Scholar
2Ball, TM, Wright, AL. Health care costs of formula–feeding in the first year of life. Pediatrics 1999; 103: 870–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3Owen, MJ, Baldwin, CD, Swank, PR, Pannu, AK, Johnson, DL, Howie, VM. Relation of infant feeding practices, cigarette smoke exposure, and group child care to the onset and duration of otitis media with effusion in the first two years of life. Journal of Pediatrics 1993; 123: 702–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4Dewey, KG, Heinig, MJ, Nommsen-Rivers, LA. Differences in morbidity between breast–fed and formula–fed infants. Journal of Pediatrics 1995; 126: 696–702.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5Froozani, MD, Permehzadah, K, Dorosty Motlagh, AR, Golestan, B. Effect of breast–feeding education on the feeding pattern and health of infants in their first four months in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 1999; 77: 381–5.Google Scholar
6Wright, AL, Holberg, CJ, Taussig, LM, Martinez, FD. Relationship of infant feeding to recurrent wheezing at age 6 years. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine 1995; 149: 758–63.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
7Cushing, RG, Samet, JM, Lambert, WE, Skipper, BJ, Hunt, WC, Young, SA, et al. Breastfeeding reduces risk of respiratory illness in infants. American Journal of Epidemiology 1998; 147: 863–70.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8Pisacane, A, Graziano, L, Mazzarella, G, Scarpellino, B, Zona, G. Breast–feeding and urinary tract infection. Journal of Pediatrics 1992; 120: 87–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9Ford, RPK, Taylor, BJ, Mitchell, EA, Enright, SA, Stewart, AW, Becroft, DMO, et al. Breast–feeding and the risk of sudden infant death syndrome. International Journal of Epidemiology 1993; 22: 885–90.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10Pettitt, DJ, Forman, MJ, Hanson, RL, Knowler, WC, Bennett, PH. Breast–feeding and incidence of non–insulin–dependent diabetes mellitus in Pima Indians. Lancet 1997; 350: 166–8.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
11Chandra, RK. Five year follow–up of high–risk infants with family history of allergy exclusively breast–fed or fed partial whey hydrolysate, soy and conventional cow's milk formula. Nutrition Research 1998; 18: 1395–411.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12Anderson, JW, Johnstone, BM, Remley, DT. Breast–feeding and cognitive development: a meta analysis. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1999; 70: 525–35.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13Newcomb, PA, Storer, BE, Longnecker, MP, Mittendorf, R, Greenberg, ER, Clapp, RW, et al. Lactation and a reduced risk of pre–menopausal breast cancer. New England Journal of Medicine 1994; 330: 81–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14Zheng, T, Holford, TR, Mayne, ST, Owens, PH, Zhang, Y, Zhang, B, et al. Lactation and breast cancer risk: a case–control study in Connecticut. British Journal of Cancer 2001; 84: 1472–6.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15Rosenblatt, KA, Thomas, DB. Lactation and the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer. The WHO Collaborative Study of Neoplasia and Steroid Contraceptives. International Journal of Epidemiology 1993; 22: 192–7.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16Rosenblatt, KA, Thomas, DB. Prolonged lactation and endometrial cancer. International Journal of Epidemiology 1995; 24: 499–503.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
17Hamlyn, B, Brooker, S, Oleinikova, K, Wands, S, Infant Feeding 2000. London: The Stationery Office, 2002.Google Scholar
18 Department of Health. Breastfeeding: Good Practice Guidance to the NHS. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1995.Google Scholar
19Gupta, A, Khanna, K. Economic value of breast–feeding in India. National Medical Journal of India 1999; 12: 123–7.Google ScholarPubMed
20Jelliffe, DB, Jelliffe, EFP. Human Milk in the Modern World. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1978.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
21Almroth, S, Greiner, T, Latham, MC, Economic importance of breastfeeding. Food and Nutrition 1979; 5: 4–10.Google ScholarPubMed
22Ball, TM, Bennett, DM. The economic impact of breastfeeding. Pediatric Clinics of North America 2001; 48: 253–62.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
23Inch, S. The importance of breastfeeding. In: Butriss, J, ed. The Growing Cycle. London National Dairy Council 1994; 27–42.Google Scholar
24Jarosz, LA. Breast–feeding versus formula: cost comparison. Hawaii Medical Journal 1993; 52: 14–8.Google ScholarPubMed
25Berridge, K, Hackett, AF, Abayomi, J, Maxwell, SM. An investigation into the relative costs of breast– and bottle–feeding in Liverpool infants up to the age of four months. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 2001; 60: 212A.Google Scholar
26Mintel. Baby Food and Drink, Market Intelligence – UK Report. London: Mintel, 2002.Google Scholar
27Mintel. Nursery Equipment, Market Intelligence – UK Report. London: Mintel, 2002.Google Scholar
28Miles, S. Consumerism – as a Way of Life. London: Sage, 1998.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
29Department of Health. Scientific Review of the Welfare Food Scheme. London: The Stationery Office, 2002.Google Scholar
30 Office of National Statistics. Family Spending; A Report of the 1997–98 Family Expenditure Survey. London: The Stationery Office, 1998.Google Scholar
31Department of Health. Dietary Reference Values for Food Energy and Nutrients for the United Kingdom. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1991.Google Scholar
32Butte, NF, Garza, C, Stuff, JE, O'Brian Smith, E, Nichols, BL. Effect of maternal diet and body composition on lactational performance. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1984; 39: 296–306.Google ScholarPubMed
33Chou, T, Chan, GM, Moyer-Mileur, L. Postpartum body composition changes in lactating and non–lactating primiparas. Nutrition 1999; 15: 481–4.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
34Lovelady, C, Garner, KE, Moreno, KL, Williams, JP. The effect of weight loss in overweight, lactating women on the growth of their infants. New England Journal of Medicine 2000; 342: 449–53.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
35Project participants. Nutrition and diet for healthy lifestyles in Europe: science and policy implications ‘Eurodiet core report’. In: Kafatos, AG, Codrington, CA, eds. Eurodiet Reports and Proceedings ‘special isssue’. Public Health Nutrition 2001; 4(2A): 265–73.Google Scholar
36World Health Organization (WHO)/United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The Innocenti Declaration on the Protection, Promotion and Support of Breastfeeding. Geneva: WHO/UNICEF, 1990.Google Scholar