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Health Care Professionals



The medical profession plays an important role in assisting the decision-making process in Indo-Canadian Women.

Healthcare professionals often contribute to the ambivalence of mothers regarding breastfeeding by furnishing mixed, inconsistent or medically inaccurate messages.



Factors contributing to ambivalence

The practice of giving free artificial milk samples and marketing strategies which portrays formula as equivalent to breast milk.

Physician's advice of giving breast milk substitute for low/slow weight gain.
"The appropriateness of ascertaining that infants are receiving adequate nutrition by comparisons to growth standards is limited by the use of standards that do not consider the type of feeding. Therefore, evaluating and infant's growth by standard set for bottlefed infants predisposes a breastfed infant to the diagnosis of 'failure to thrive'" (Ho Chee, 1997, p.25).

Ho Chee, R.M. (1997).Breastfeeding Patterns and Weight Gain: A Review of the Literature. Journal of Perinatal Education, 6(2). p25-34.
Health Canada (1997). Studies of attitudes on breastfeeding. Ottawa: Health Canada.
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