Successes and Limits of Intensive Psychosomatic Perinatal Care Under the Special View of Long-Term Breastfeeding

Abstract

The results of 114 German puerperae delivered at the Frauenklinik in Peine during January–April 1979 are compared with perinatal and psychosomatic dates under the aspect of long-term breastfeeding habits during the 12 months after delivery. Of these women, 8.7% refused breastfeeding or gave up early for reasons which were not accepted by the author, e.g. “My child refused to suckle” (Group 2); 7.0% were not able to practise breastfeeding because of severe anatomic or organisational reasons (Group 3); and 69.3% practised breastfeeding more or less (Group 4). Results and tendencies are as follows:

• Group 1: parity shows a shift to multiparae; participation in antenatal training less (30%) than average (60.5%); social status, no tendency; choice of rooming-in nevertheless 50%.

• Group 2 parity, no tendency; participation in antenatal training less (35%) than average; clear shift to lower social status; no rooming-in.

• Group 3: no clear parity tendency; participation in antenatal training less (50%) than average; clear shift to lower social status; no rooming-in.

• Group 4: slight shift to primiparae; participation in antenatal training more (70.9%) than average; shift to higher social status; rooming-in 40.6%.