A comparative description of infant feeding practices in Zaire, the Philippines and St. Kitts‐Nevis

Infant feeding issues and research commonly portray infant feeding practices as a dichotomous variable, that is, breast‐versus bottle‐feeding. This research establishes the complexity and variability in infant feeding patterns in three sites in the developing world. Comparative data are presented on the modes and products used to feed infants in Kinshasa, Zaire; St. Kitts‐Nevis, West Indies; and Cebu City, Philippines. They demonstrate that in these areas most infants receive some breast milk. Bottle‐feeding also is common but rarely is the exclusive mode of feeding. And the prevalence, manner of use and role of the bottle varies among the three sites. Early supplementation of breast milk by a variety of liquids, semisolids and solids is typical of all three areas. These findings have important implications for educators and policy makers, and to research efforts relating infant feeding practices to infant health outcomes.