Developmental study of weaning : An analysis of its initiative between mothers and offspring

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A) Questionnaires on mothers' milk-feedins and weaning practices were distributed to mothers of 3 year olds in local health centers of 26 Prefectures in Japan. 923 mothers-completed them and the data were analyzed with a special reference to initiatives in the weaning practice. The results indicate the general tendencies as follows : (1) Percentages of breast feeding decreased abruptly at 1 year and at 1.5 years, and it was almost absent after 2 years of age ; (2) mothers tended to stop bottle-feeding at 1 and 1.5 years ; (3) solids were introduced mostly at 5 months. The results also show that (4) milk stoppage was caused mainly by children's factors such as their age, bejaviors of eating solids and leaving from breast, and mothers' factors were less important except for lack of milk secretion, but (5) introduction of solids was urged by maternal effort to expose tastes of solids. 421 mothers took initiatives to stop breast-feedins, and 124 mothers left the decision to children. Which … More side between mothers and offspring has the initiative of weaning did not correlate with any of areas of living, urbanization, children's birth order or sex, or mothers' employment or education. However, in comparison with mothers who weaned following the offspring demands, mothers who took initiative of weaning tended (1) to respect less for offspring's individuality, (2) to wish an earlier weaning, (3) for their own benefit, (4) depending more on medical experts and their own ideas than offsprins's behaviors, (5) based more on the offspring's age than their behaviors.B) Results of (1) behavioral observations and questionnaire studies of sudden weaning called 'Dannyu' and (2) longitudinal observations of weaning practice by focal mothers in La Leche League (a group of mothers who try natural weaning) were analyzed, and were put together with the results of the above to make a synthetic discussion about weaning practice in Japan at the time before the renewal of governmental advice on weaning. Less