Development of Nutritionally Balanced Weaning Foods for Korean Infants I - Investigating the conditions of lactation and peoples perspectives on breast feeding and formular feeding -

영유아를 위한 영양적으로 균형된 이유 보충식의 개발을 위한 연구 I - 수유실태 및 모유와 인공유 영양에 대한 의식구조 -

Infanthood is a crucial period when mental and emotional developments take place along with physical growth. Adequate supply of nutrition is essential during this period and there is an urgent need for proper education and guidance on balanced nutrition. Therefore, this study was designed to assess to current status of lactation and to investigate mothers' perspectives on human milk and formular milk. As random samples for this study, a total of 352 mothers having infant under the age of 4 were surveyed. 27.3% of mother surveyed were breast-feeding, 38.0% were formula-feeding and 34.7% were mixed-feeding. According to the result of this study, the percentage of breast feeding was on the decrease, while the dependence on formular milk was on the rise. The main reason of formula-feeding was insufficient secretion of human milk on mothers part. The major factors that affect to select feeding method were employment status, degree of education, family income and age. Also, the interviewees desired the product fortified with special ingredients that are hot contained in formular milk currently available in the market. The most concerned problem of formula milk was indigestion and the interviewees wanted the formular milk to be improved digestibility.