All issues > Volume 22(5); 1979

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1979;22(5):337-352. Published online May 15, 1979.

Infant Feeding Trends in Korea.

Sung Taek kim

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Busan National University, Korea.

Abstract

The paramount importance of breast feeding for the helth of the infnts has been recognized by nutrtionists and physicians. Fifty years ago in Europe the mortality and morbidity were much higher in bottle fed than in breast fed babies. Twenty yers ago this difference was no longer so marked. And today, indeed, in European infants reared under favourable conditions including regular controls at well baby clinics there is no longer any difference in mortality, and only a limited difference in morbidity between those who are bottle fed and those who are breast fed. But, let us reiterate and never forget that this situation is valid only for infants reared under favourable conditions. For the average village child in a developing country the risks inherent in the early in troduction of bottle feeding are just as great today as they were in Europe centuries ago and it could be sometimes a baby-killer. A possible another important long-term advantage of breast feeding is the prevention of arteriosclerotic disease later in life which may be influencd by the early ingestion of cow's milk protein. Although breast feeding was by far the most common until well into the twentieth century, a sharp decline during infancy is apparently notble throughout the world, not only in North America and European countries but also in non-Western countries. In the 1940s, approximately 65 per cent of infants in the United States were breastfed during the neonatal period. But in 1973, by age two months, only 10 to 15per cent of infants are breastfed and, by age six months, only 5 per cent of infants are breastfed. In recent years studies from the U.K. related to breast feeding have been sparse similarly. Only 33 per cent of the mothers continued breast feed beyond the first 4 weeks. And in Sweden the percentage of infants breastfed for 3 months or longer was only 17 in 1972. Non-Western countries, on the other hand, also showing a general decline in breast feeding without exceptions. The extreme examples are Chile, Singapore and Philiphines. In 1960 about 95 per cent of infants in Chile was breastfed up to age of 13months, but it has fallen into around 7 per cent in 1978. Breast feeding of Singapore at 3 months of age was 77per cent of infants in 1951, but it was only bout 7 per cent in 1971. Breast feeding of Philiphines at 2 months of age in 1970 was as low as 20 per cent of infants. Breast feeding up to 7 months of age in 1970 ws almost complete in Korea showing 99.7 per cents of infants however recent trends are not well known. The author has surveyed feeding trends in both urban and rural Korean infants under 18 months of age with questionare from August to December 1978, The results of this survey were as follows: 1. Total 113 infants were subjected into this survey, and of which 407per cent came from urban and 59.3per cent from rural Korea. 2. Of all subjects, the percentage of only breast fed, only bottle fed, artificially fed,(bottle, bottle+gruel, gruel), and mixed fed (breast+bottle, breast+gruel) infants was 46, 11.1, 28.5, and 27.9 respectively. 3. The percentage of ruralonly breast fed, ruralonly bottle fed, ruralartificially fed, and ruralmixed fed infants was 56.7, 13.4, 17.9, and 25.4 respectively. 4. the percentage of urban only breast fed, urban only bottle fed, urban artificially fed, and urban mixed fed, infants was 30.4, 8.7, 39.1, and 30.4 respectively. 5. Infants whose body weight weighed more than 75 percentiles of Korean Standard were 49 per cent in only breast fed group, while 20 per cent in only bottle fed and other fed groups. 6. Breast feeding in urban area is less common among the highly educated mothers than among the secondary and primary school eduated mothers. 7. bottle feeding in rural area is more common among the skilled, managerial occupations of father than among the non-skilled occupations of father. 8. Breast feeding in urban area is less common among the full-time work mothers than among the part-time work mothers and less common among the part-time work mothers than among the no work mothers. But mothr's job does not influence breast feeding in rural area. 9. Breast feeding in urban area is more common in the first baby than in the second and common in the second baby than in the third. But here was no such tendency in rural area. 10. Siblings who were all breastfed in ruban area were 15 per cent, while 76 per cent in rural area. 11. Previous baby who was breastfed more than 6 months was38.1 per cent in urban area, while 85.5per cent in rural area. 12. Mothers who were advised to prepare breasts during her pregnancy were 63 per cent in urban area, while 14.9per cent in rural area. 13. Urban mothers who got the information about infant feeding from books, magazines, leaflets, radio and T.V. were 93.5per cent, while rural mothers only 22.4 per cent mainly from radio and T.V. 14. Only 16.8per cent of mothers both urban and rural has attended any kind of classes of lectures on infant feeding. 15. Among the reasons of present artificial and mixed feeding, lack of breast milk was the commonest at 28.3per cent and the next reason was because of job or busy as 8.0per cent. 16. Mother's opinion for better infant feeding was revealed as follows: breast is best: urban:76.1%, rural:49.1%) bottle is best: urban: 4.3%, rural:23.9%) 17. The supplementary foods over 6 months of age in urban area were given frequently as following order: cereals, fruits, vegetables, eggs, and meat. In rural area the order of frequency was simlar to that of urban, but eggs and meat were hardly given. 18. Bottle feeding mothers responded more ??es than breast feeding mothers to the questionare of breast feeding is a sacrifice of mother.

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