Exclusive breastfeeding in Vietnam: an attainable goal.
OBJECTIVE
To explore community views on the feasibility of exclusive breastfeeding in Vietnam.


METHODS
A total of 118 interviews were conducted with mothers, grandmothers, fathers, health workers and 'oldest women' in rural and urban areas in the north and south of Vietnam. Special issues were further examined through 12 'strategic interviews'.


RESULTS
Exclusive breastfeeding was rare because it was poorly understood and little appreciated, by health professionals as well as lay persons, as the best way to feed an infant during the first 6 months. Early fluid supplementation was the rule and most infants received water and milk in addition to breast milk. While a majority of the women worked, they had found ways to manage their work so that it did not need to interfere with exclusive breastfeeding. Family members expressed a readiness to support exclusive breastfeeding when it was explained to them.


CONCLUSIONS
Exclusive breastfeeding in Vietnam, while currently uncommon, is an attainable goal. Establishing exclusive breastfeeding as the norm in the general population would make it easier for HIV-infected women, for whom replacement feeding is not acceptable, feasible, affordable, sustainable and safe, to breastfeed exclusively.
Almroth
Stina
S
Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. stinaalmroth@yahoo.com
Arts
Maaike
M
Quang
Nguyen Dinh
ND
Hoa
Pham Thi Thuy
PT
Williams
Carol
C
D000328:Adult; D000329:Advertising; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016901:Intergenerational Relations; D008423:Maternal Age; D009035:Mothers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014744:Vietnam / Q000453:epidemiology; D014867:Water
D014867:Water