A systemic review of 13 research articles from both developed and developing world countries explore the influence of grandmothers on breastfeeding. The research came from Bolivia, Brazil, China, Germany, Kuwait, Thailand, Taiwan, USA and Vietnam.

The studies demonstrate between them that grandmothers are highly influential over breastfeeding. Five of the studies found higher exclusive breastfeeding rates at various times during the first six month after the birth (1.6 to 12.4 times higher) when grandmothers had breastfed their own children or were positively inclined towards breastfeeding.

The reviews recommend that breastfeeding programmes should include grandmothers to achieve maximum impact.

Negin J, Coffman J, Vizintin P, & Raynes-Greenow C (2016), The influence of grandmothers on breastfeeding rates: a systematic review, BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

Photo: Pepe Pont. Creative Commons.