Browsing by Author "Supanco, Juan Rafael T."
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Item Restricted How does maternal employment affect infant nutrition through breast feeding practices in Metro Cebu?(2010-04) Firmacion, Ladislao V. III; Supanco, Juan Rafael T.The prevalence of infant malnutrition remains to be a problem both globally and in the Philippines. Malnutrition prevalence rates remain high in developing countries and are leading causes of infant mortality in the poorest nations. At the same time, an increasing number of women, including mothers, have been participating in the labor force. This entails benefits and costs for mothers who have an important role to play in nourishing infants. This paper aims to study the effect of maternal employment on infant nutrition with emphasis on breastfeeding as the intermediate factor. Using data from the Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutritional Survey, it is revealed that, for infants six months old and below, working mothers breastfeed more frequently and for longer durations than non-working mothers. However, increased working hours lead to less frequent breastfeeding and shorter breastfeeding durations. Working mothers also breastfeed less frequently in the long run. In tum, frequent and prolonged breastfeeding reduces the risk of malnutrition in the early stages of infancy but has either adverse or insignificant effects on nutrition in the late stages. This reveals how the importance of breastfeeding diminishes as the infant ages beyond six months. Therefore, it is suggested that mothers of young infants be encouraged to engage in part-time work while being guided with the proper exclusive breastfeeding and eventual weaning practices which can lead to better nutritional outcomes.