Chapter 5. Mothers' Health and Dietary Practices

Table 5.7. Percent of mothers giving each reason for eating more of each food by infant age1,2, among those who ate more of these foods during each age while they were breastfeeding

Infant Feeding Practices Study II

  N Food is
healthy
for me
Improves
amount or
quality of
my milk
Craved the
food more
Recommended
by a health
professional
Recommended
by a friend
or relative
Other
reasons
Milk or other dairy foods Month 0-2 443 76.5 29.1 30.2 22.3 5.9 3.8
  Month 3-5 340 64.4 26.8 24.4 15.0 3.5 4.7
  Month 6-7 203 78.3 32.0 28.6 20.2 6.4 7.4
Eggs Month 0-2 213 65.7 18.3 18.3 13.1 1.9 12.7
  Month 3-5 173 58.4 14.5 15.6 11.6 3.5 12.1
  Month 6-7 85 72.9 23.5 18.8 10.6 2.4 15.3
Canned tuna Month 0-2 123 57.7 15.4 22.0 24.4 1.6 13.0
  Month 3-5 126 36.5 9.5 14.3 12.7 1.6 9.5
  Month 6-7 48 60.4 14.6 22.9 25.0 2.1 10.4
Swordfish, shark, tile fish, or king mackerel Month 0-2 17 23.5 0.0 17.6 0.0 0.0 17.6
  Month 3-5 38 10.5 0.0 0.0 2.6 0.0 0.0
  Month 6-7 6 16.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
Any other type of fish Month 0-2 78 71.8 7.7 25.6 7.7 6.4 10.3
  Month 3-5 105 41.0 3.8 11.4 6.7 1.9 9.5
  Month 6-7 41 82.9 9.8 9.8 4.9 4.9 14.6
Shellfish Month 0-2 29 20.7 0.0 24.1 3.4 0.0 13.8
  Month 3-5 48 14.6 0.0 12.5 2.1 0.0 6.3
  Month 6-7 10 30.0 10.0 30.0 10.0 10.0 10.0
Luncheon meats Month 0-2 114 26.3 4.4 40.4 2.6 0.9 28.9
  Month 3-5 113 13.3 4.4 23.0 0.9 0.9 19.5
  Month 6-7 31 19.4 0.0 19.4 0.0 0.0 51.6
Nuts, peanuts, or peanut butter Month 0-2 268 51.1 13.8 45.1 11.2 2.6 13.4
  Month 3-5 197 53.8 9.6 39.1 9.6 3.6 8.6
  Month 6-7 131 59.5 14.5 47.3 6.9 3.1 9.9
Alcoholic drinks Month 0-2 31 0.0 6.5 6.5 0.0 6.5 74.2
  Month 3-5 63 4.8 0.0 3.2 0.0 0.0 14.3
  Month 6-7 9 11.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 77.8
Vitamin or mineral supplements Month 0-2 400 69.0 35.8 0.3 56.5 8.0 1.3
  Month 3-5 315 65.1 36.8 0.6 55.6 8.3 2.5
  Month 6-7 227 67.4 27.3 0.0 55.1 6.6 1.3
Any herbal or botanical supplement Month 0-2 86 30.2 62.8 1.2 24.4 17.4 3.5
  Month 3-5 105 24.8 34.3 0.0 9.5 8.6 1.0
  Month 6-7 37 32.4 54.1 0.0 18.9 13.5 2.7

1Table is based on variables: M2D9A1-K6, M5D8A1-K6, M7D8A1-K6
2Row percentages do not add up to 100% because mothers could choose all that apply