[French scale validation of the Infant Behavior Questionnaire three months after birth]

Breastfeeding is recognize to be the perfect food of mother and child's health. The child's temperament is one of the factors that may explain pursuing the breastfeeding. Few instruments are available in French to measure this factor. The objective of the study is to present and validate the French translation of the scale "Infant Behavior Questionnaire" (IBQ). The sample consists of 193 primaparous or multiparous women who gave birth in a maternity in Paris. The child's temperament questionnaire was sent by mail three months after the birth. The same questionnaire was sent to a sub-sample of 30 women 15 days later. Analyses were conducted to assess the temporal stability, internal consistency, construct validity and predictive. The different results tend to show a compliant validity to the french scale version. This first IBQ French-language validation is worth pursuing in order to confirm the scale factor structure and participate to studies supporting mothers in their breastfeeding project.

[The factors involved in the decision to stop breastfeeding early]

A study carried out in 2008-2009 involving 138 mothers in Quebec shows that stopping breastfeeding before three months is not only due to difficulties with breastfeeding techniques, but also to psycho-social and relational factors, notably maternal sensitivity and depression. Better support from professionals, especially during the first month following the birth, could help young mothers to continue breastfeeding.