Mom Topics - Breastfeeding

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The Tallangatta Study (1995) explores the relationship between zinc supplementation and breastfeeding retention rates. In the first of a two part article, Jodi Cleghorn looks at what health staff in the Tallangatta District identified as contributing problems to establishing and maintaining breastfeeding in their community and how health concerns of mothers and newborns seem to occur in clusters.

The Tallangatta health district is in a relatively isolated pocket of North East Victoria (Australia) - the closest obstetric/pediatric care available to the families was a 240km round trip to Albury/Woodonga. In 1995 when the study was undertaken, there were 10,000 people living in the area. A Maternal and Child Health Care Centre serviced the district through an open clinic in Tallangatta two days a week and bi-weekly clinics in three other satellite towns. 

Problems that Interfere with Successful Breastfeeding

In 1989, it became apparent to the health care workers that women were not succeeding in establishing breastfeeding. They identified the following ten problems that were contributing to women not establishing and maintaining breastfeeding:

1. Tiredness
2. Increased workloads relating to the care of the family and on the farm, for those families living on the land
3. Inability to access home help
4. Inability to access appropriate childcare
5. Lack of sleep
6. Short-term memory lapses
7. Inability to communicate needs
8. Appetite abnormalities
9. Loss of self esteem
10. Lack of confidence

A Clustering of Health Issues

They also noticed that a significant number of mothers and babies suffered multiple problems in the first three months -- many of which mothers assumed were normal or were passed off as something they had to endure as part of motherhood. Of greatest concern was ‘infant colic’ because of the distress is brought the infant, the mother and the family.

The health care workers found a clustering of the symptoms.  Mothers who had multiple problems (such as tiredness, nipple trauma, appetite aberrations) had babies who were presenting with symptoms such as:

• Rashes
• Thrush
• Respiratory tract infections
• Gastric relux
• Persistent crying/colic

Is Zinc the Key?

A review of the nutritional status of the women in the Tallangatta district found two things. First, that the post natal symptoms such as lethargy, skin rashes, memory lapses, and irritability were also symptoms also associated with zinc deficiency. Secondly, that the Tallangatta mothers were not currently taking or had not taken a zinc supplement either during pregnancy or postnatally. They believed that a possible cause for the problems mothers and babies were experiencing.

The problem that the new mothers in Tallangatta were experiencing are issues that all new mothers have, in greater and lesser degrees when attempting to establish and maintain breastfeeding. Zinc deficiency is an issue that new mothers are increasingly facing due to the depletion of our soils and the presence of zinc in our food.  It is something that all pregnant women should be aware of for their transition and preparation for motherhood and breastfeeding.

Part two of this article explores how the health staff in the Tallangatta district approached the problems of the decreasing breastfeeding retention rates and the success they had with the introduction of zinc supplementation for new mothers.

Jodi Cleghorn is a mother and writer, as well as a passionate advocate for breastfeeding and natural birth. She is the co-author of the book Reclaim Sex After Birth: the survival guide. You can find more of Jodi's writing at Writing With Passionate Abandon and Reclaim Sex After Birth.

Reference

Barker-Vile, A. Improved Breastfeeding Rentention Rates Associated with Post Natal Maternal Oral Supplementation (1995)  A paper presented at the 3rd Rural Health Conference, Mount Beauty. The full paper can be found at the National Rural Health Alliance.

Photograph: "Breastfeeding Is Beautiful" compliments of Erica Blythe, from personal collection

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