Recommended Citation

Breastfeeding bestows a myriad of nutritional and anti-infectious benefits to a child. However, despite recommendations by World Health Organization and countless other national and international organizations, many mothers terminate breastfeeding earlier than recommended. Current literature features numerous studies that have sought to determine patterns in sub-optimal feeding; however, these studies often fail to examine the role of cultural tradition as a variable independent of geographic region or socioeconomic status. This study examined the breastfeeding habits of women from four different ethnic groups – the Kamba, Kikuyu, Luo and Maasai – all living in a slum community near Nairobi, Kenya. Analysis of variance between the four cultural groups revealed that Maasai mothers breastfed for a significantly shorter duration than mothers from the Kamba, Kikuyu, or Luo ethnic groups. These findings indicate that cultural tradition should be taken into account in breastfeeding-related education, training and promotion. Background Benefits of breastfeeding The benefits of breastfeeding for child nourishment, growth, and protection agains