Social chemosignals from breastfeeding women increase sexual motivation

Human pheromones, a type of social chemosignal, modulate endocrine function by regulating the timing of ovulation. In animals, pheromones not only regulate ovulation but also female reproductive motivation and behavior. There is no extant evidence that humans produce social chemosignals that affect human sexual motivation or reproductive behavior as occurs in other mammals. Here, we demonstrate that natural compounds collected from lactating women and their breastfeeding infants increased the sexual motivation of other women, measured as sexual desire and fantasies. Moreover, the manifestation of increased sexual motivation was different in women with a regular sexual partner. Those with a partner experienced enhanced sexual desire, whereas those without one had more sexual fantasies. These results are consistent with previous pheromonal effects on endocrine function, and warrant further study of these social chemosignals as candidates for pheromonal processes, including their effects on other aspects of motivation and behavior.     

Constraints to exclusive breastfeeding practice among breastfeeding mothers in Southwest Nigeria: implications for scaling up

Background

The practice of exclusive breastfeeding is still low despite the associated benefits. Improving the uptake and appropriating the benefits will require an understanding of breastfeeding as an embodied experience within a social context. This study investigates breastfeeding practices and experiences of nursing mothers and the roles of grandmothers, as well as the work-related constraints affecting nurses in providing quality support for breastfeeding mothers in Southwest Nigeria.

Methods

Using a concurrent mixed method approach, a structured questionnaire was administered to 200 breastfeeding mothers. In-depth interviews were also held with breastfeeding mothers (11), nurses (10) and a focus group discussion session with grandmothers.

Results

Breastfeeding was perceived as essential to baby's health. It strengthens the physical and spiritual bond between mothers and their children. Exclusive breastfeeding was considered essential but demanding. Only a small proportion (19%) of the nursing mothers practiced exclusive breastfeeding. The survey showed the major constraints to exclusive breastfeeding to be: the perception that babies continued to be hungry after breastfeeding (29%); maternal health problems (26%); fear of babies becoming addicted to breast milk (26%); pressure from mother-in-law (25%); pains in the breast (25%); and the need to return to work (24%). In addition, the qualitative findings showed that significant others played dual roles with consequences on breastfeeding practices. The desire to practice exclusive breastfeeding was often compromised shortly after child delivery. Poor feeding, inadequate support from husband and conflicting positions from the significant others were dominant constraints. The nurses decried the effects of their workload on providing quality supports for nursing mothers.

Conclusion

Breastfeeding mothers are faced with multiple challenges as they strive to practice exclusive breastfeeding. Thus, scaling up of exclusive breastfeeding among mothers requires concerted efforts at the macro, meso and micro levels of the Nigerian society.     

Comparison of attitudes to breastfeeding among Spanish-born and Chinese-born postpartum women in Madrid

Background

Maternal breastfeeding is a practice that is associated with multiple health benefits for mothers and children. One of the lowest rates of breastfeeding has been observed among Chinese women who immigrate to high income countries. At present, there is a lack of comparative information between this group and that of Spanish-born women. Considering the relationship between the attitude of women towards breastfeeding and the initiation of breastfeeding, the aim of the study was to determine whether the attitude towards breastfeeding among Chinese postpartum women who have immigrated to Spain differs from that of Spanish-born postpartum women.

Methods

Cross-sectional study, with between-group comparison, of 73 postpartum Spanish-born and Chinese immigrant women admitted to the maternity units of “12 de Octubre” Hospital (Spain) between April and November 2016. Attitudes toward breastfeeding were analyzed using the Spanish or Chinese version of the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS). A wide set of socioeconomic, biological, working and attitudinal conditions were considered as covariates. The association between IIFAS and country of origin was assessed by three multiple linear regression models (B, SE, and 95% confidence interval were calculated).

Results

All Chinese women were first generation immigrants. Chinese-born women were four years younger than Spanish-born mothers, had a lower educational level, more frequently had a paid job (mainly self-employed), and planned to return to work almost two months earlier than Spanish-born mothers did. Most Chinese women did not breastfeed exclusively.Chinese immigrant women obtained scores of approximately 9 points less in the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS) when compared to Spanish-born women [95% CI -15.59, -2.48], after adjusting for the different socioeconomic, educational and work-related factors.

Conclusions

Chinese-born women resident in Spain present a lower score on the IIFAS, when compared to Spanish-born women, which implies a more negative attitude towards breastfeeding. The between-groups difference is consistent, even when adjusting for known confounders and other factors which could affect the attitude of the mothers. It is therefore striking that, despite being in Spain, Chinese-born women maintain these preferences/attitudes regarding breastfeeding, compared with Spanish-born women, who obtain overall high scores.

     

Contraceptive knowledge and attitudes in urban Ilorin, Nigeria

In Nigeria as in other African countries, population growth negatively affects economic development, and high parity affects maternal health. Breastfeeding, a common practice traditionally, is declining in some situations. This study was carried out in Ilorin, Nigeria. A sample population of 932 households stratified to represent different socioeconomic groups was used. 913 currently married women aged 15-35, who were in their prime childbearing ages, were interviewed on their contraceptive knowledge and on their attitudes towards modern contraception. In a bivariate statistical analysis, of 8 variables examined (i.e. ownership of a television, radio, religion, and other) only the woman's education, age, and area of residence within the city have significant independent effects on contraceptive knowledge. A linear logistic regression technic was also applied. 90% of the women interviewed thought that women should be free to practise family planning. Also, 95% of all the women believed that too frequent births could endanger the health of the mother and her children. Only the women with previous contraceptive knowledge overwhelmingly (80%) thought that the best way to prevent too frequent births is by family planning. 66.5% of those without previous contraceptive knowledge before this study suggested that traditional abstinence should be used and only 28.9% suggested family planning. Adequate awareness of the availability and usefulness of family planning methods can influence attitudes of women towards contraception and may also enhance contraceptive use. Better use can be made of broadcasting media, and efforts should be made to target younger, more fecund women, since there was evidence that more knowledge of family planning existed among women 30+ years old.     

Epidemiological features of HIV infection among pregnant women in Makurdi, Benue State, Nigeria

Women in Benue State have for years had the highest HIV rate in the country, but because the sentinel surveys are anonymized and unlinked, not much is known about the socio-demographic, behavioural and other risk factors that predispose these women to the disease. The HIV/AIDS epidemic in Nigeria does not appear to be a single epidemic but rather multiple epidemics of varying magnitude and trends. This cross-sectional study was therefore carried out to identify the risk factors for HIV/AIDS among these women. A total of 404 consecutive consenting mothers enrolled at the booking clinic were followed up until delivery of their babies. They were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire and tested for HIV infection using an ELISA-based kit after obtaining informed consent. Mean age of the mothers was 26+/-6.1 years, 94.8% were married while 50.5% had at least secondary level education. Sixty-one (15.1%) mothers were HIV positive with mothers aged 15-24 years being responsible for 50.8% of all infection. Following bivariate analysis, being single, having a partner with low level of formal education, living in a rural location, being in a polygamous/multiple partner union, being a higher order polygamous wife, being married more than once and reporting a history of a sexually transmitted infection were significantly associated with HIV infection. Monogamous women who lived apart from their partners and women who had ever had blood transfusion were also more likely to be HIV positive. Following multivariate logistic regression, a young age of 15-24 years (multivariate OR=3.3, 95 % CI=1.2-8.4, p=0.02); ever had other STIs (OR=1.6, 95% CI 1.1-2.3, p=0.009); no formal maternal education (OR=0.6, 95% CI 0.4-0.9, p=0.021) and having one lifetime sexual partner (OR=0.4, 95% CI 0.3-0.5, p<0.00001) were significantly associated with HIV infection in the study population. Appropriate interventions must be directed at young people and should include STI control and abstinence education. Blood safety must be ensured as well as a general improvement in the level of formal and health education in this community.     

Cross-cultural dimensions of breastfeeding practices and abstinence: Evidence from Uttar Pradesh and Tamilnadu, India

Summary and Conclusion The analysis contained in this paper brings out very clearly that the practice of breastfeeding and abstinence in the two major states of India: Uttar Pradesh and Tamilnadu are highly related to socio-cultural factors and changes in generational gaps. The findings reveal that literate, non-Hindu, and rich (high SLI) women have shorter breastfeeding durations than illiterates, Hindus, and poor (low SLI) women of Uttar Pradesh and Tamilnadu. In addition, the breastfeeding practice in Uttar Pradesh is influenced by residence background and generational age-gaps. The role of socio-cultural factors in influencing post-partum sexual abstinence period has been found to be significantly important through the variables; residence background, generational age-gaps, religion and working status of women. The results reveal that urban women, of younger cohorts (below 30 years), non-Hindu, and non-working women have shorter abstinence periods compared to rural women, of older cohorts (above 30 years), Hindus, and working women in both the states. The findings from this analysis suggest that apart from modernization process, defined in terms of higher literacy levels, higher developmental and urbanization levels, the changing perceptions and attitude towards lactational practices over the generation has significant dent on shortening of breastfeeding durations and abstinence periods. Thus, the study support the hypothesis that the process of modernization defined in terms of improvement in level of education, family income, urbanization tends to shorten the period of breastfeeding and abstinence, and consequently, the post-partum infecundability is reduced. Such reductions in the infertile periods can be expected to contribute to an increase in natural fertility levels of the population and also on the observed fertility levels, if not counter balanced by the fertility reducing effects of contraception.     

Resumption of menstruation among urban post-partum women in Bangladesh.

To investigate the return of menstruation among postpartum women in Dacca, a random sample of 360 women (1-12 months postpartum) was selected from 4 Dacca hospitals for a cross-sectional study; another random sample of 200 women ( 1 month postpartum at time of interview) was selected from the same hospitals for prospective follow up. Many of the women were from rural areas who left the city after delivering their babies; most were under 25 years old at the time of interview. Results of the cross sectional study showed that 63% started menstruating by the 6th postpartum month; 10% were still amenorrhoeic by the 12th postpartum month; 46% were breastfeeding their infants by the 4th month; 90% resumed sexual relations, and 48% were using contraceptives, by the 6th month. Results of the prospective study showed that slightly more than half of the women started menstruating by the end of the 5th postpartum month; almost half stopped breastfeeding by the 5th month, 88.8% were having sexual relations with their husbands, and about 50.5% were on some form of birth control. The findings suggest a much shorter duration of lactational amenorrhea than has been claimed for a rural area of Bangladesh; they also suggest that urban women start menstruating earlier because of their primary reliance on supplementary feeding. The contraceptive effectiveness, as well as health benefits to infants, of prolonged and intensive lactation should be promoted to urban mothers.     

Blood pressure trends and hypertension among rural and urban Jat women of Haryana, India

Hypertension is an important public health problem and the major causes of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality among aged and elderly population in India. The present study is an attempt to assess age related trends of blood pressure and prevalence of hypertension in rural and urban women as well as correlation of blood pressure with obesity indicators (WC, BMI, and WHR). Data for present cross-sectional study were collected by purposive sampling method from six hundred Jat women (300 rural and 300 urban), aged 40 to 70 years. Karl Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) was employed to find the relationship between blood pressure and obesity indicators. The results revealed an age associated increase in mean values of systolic and diastolic blood pressure in rural and urban women. Urban women showed significantly higher overall mean value of systolic (mm of Hg) (133.93 vs. 130.79, p < 0.001), diastolic blood pressure (mm of Hg) (84.34 vs. 82.81, p < 0.01) and pulse rate (81.72 +/- 6.27 vs. 80.94 +/- 9.06, p > 0.05) as compared to rural women. The overall prevalence of hypertension was found to be 9% in rural and 26.66% in urban women as per JNC VII criteria. Increased prominence of hypertension among urban Jat women may be attributed to their modern lifestyle having more stress, less manual work and faulty dietary habits. There was a very low awareness of hypertension in the rural subjects (37%) than their urban (72%) counterparts. Rural and urban women revealed a positive and significant association of systolic blood pressure with body mass index, whereas only urban women displayed positive correlation of waist circumference with systolic (r = 0.183**) and diastolic (r = 0.151**) blood pressure.