30 October 2009

'Feeding your baby' project seeks out pregnant Dundee women

Researchers from the University of Dundee are to embark on a project that will help form the most complete picture of the feeding choices made by new mothers in the city.

'Feeding Your Baby' will see a team headed by Dr Heather Whitford of the School of Nursing & Midwifery find out more about women’s decisions regarding their preferred method of infant feeding. They will explore whether or not these decisions change following delivery of the baby, and the factors that help or hinder their choice.

From mid-November onwards, community midwives will approach women in Dundee when they are over 30 weeks pregnant about taking part in the study. Participation will involve completion of an initial questionnaire then an exit questionnaire in the first five months after delivery. All women will be included in the study, regardless of the method of feeding they intend to use.

Some of the participants will be asked to answer two weekly text message questions about their method of feeding. The text messaging and the timing of the final questionnaire will depend on their method of infant feeding. Some women will be invited to participate in a follow-up focus group.

'The purpose of this study is to explore what womens’ opinions are when they are pregnant,' explained Dr Whitford. 'We want to know how they plan to feed their baby, how this changes after they have their baby, why their plans may change, and how they can be supported in the choices they have made.'

'During the final telephone questionnaire, we will ask the mothers how their views on their feeding choices changed after giving birth and during the first few weeks and months of their baby’s lives.

'Further down the line when we’ll be forming focus groups to speak to some of the women in more detail about their experiences and how their choices could have been more effectively supported.'

'We’d like to hear from any woman in Dundee who is expecting a baby, and who would be interested in helping our research into feeding. They should speak to their community midwife who can pass on their details to us.'

'Ultimately, we are aiming to help improve the care women are offered, and to support them with their feeding choices.'

Dr Whitford added that the study hoped to involve up to 350 expectant mothers. The £174,000 study has been funded by the Chief Scientists Office, and the findings will help inform future policy in terms of providing services to support infant feeding.

It is the first survey of its kind to use text messaging to allow women a convenient way of keeping in touch, letting the research team know how they are getting on and how their views might have changed on a week-by-week basis.

'This research is important because it will allow us to form a more complete picture of women’s feeding choices in Dundee than we’ve ever had before,' added Dr Whitford. 'The study will allow us to find out exactly what the situation is in Dundee and to identify the key points where women have difficulties or change their feeding method.'

The project will run from mid-November onwards and continue into 2010. At their next ante-natal visit women who are over 30 weeks pregnant will be given information about the research by their community midwife.

www.feedingyourbaby.org.uk.

For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07854 953277