SHARING RESULTS FROM THE SWO PREGNANCY HEALTH SURVEY ON BREASTFEEDING

The Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate has been sharing key findings from Pregnancy Health Survey for Parents of Newborns on the Lake Traverse Reservation through a series of articles and infographics.

Through the survey, important information was learned from SWO mothers and fathers about breastfeeding practices.

74% of SWO mothers breastfed, and 34% were still breastfeeding when surveyed 2+ months after birth

70% of SWO fathers were supportive of their baby’s mother’s decision to breastfeed. When father’s attitude was supportive, moms were more likely to breastfeed. For fathers

who said “I am supportive”: 91% of mothers breastfed. For fathers who said “Breastfeeding is better for baby”: 92% of mothers breastfed.

Although similar surveys have been done before in forty States, including South Dakota, other Tribes in our Area, and New York City, this was the first time EVER that fathers were invited to complete a pregnancy-related survey! This survey confirmed what a dramatic influence and support SWO fathers are in promoting healthy practices for their babies. The purpose of the Pregnancy Health Survey was to help understand why some babies are born healthier than others. Moms and dads of babies born between April 1 and December 31, 2015 whose mother’s residence was Roberts, Day, Marshall, and Codington counties when the baby was born were invited to take the survey. There were 149 total American Indian infants born on the Lake Traverse Reservation during this nine month period. Ninety-two mothers and sixty-four fathers participated!

The theme of community education campaign to share the survey results centers on the Dakotah word for pregnancy - Ihduṡ’aka “To Strengthen Oneself” (Source: English to Dakota Dictionary, As Spoken by the People of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate, Copyright© 2015 by SWO Publishing). The decision to breastfeed baby can best be made together by SWO mothers and SWO fathers prior to the birth of the baby as the family prepares to welcome their new, precious little one.

Please view the infographics adjacent to this article developed in collaboration with the Collaborative Research Center for American Indian Health at Sanford Research in Sioux Falls. You are invited to visit the SWO First 1,000 Days Initiative website at http://swofirst1000days.com/home/pregnancy-health-survey-results for more information about findings of the survey or to download the infographics that have been completed so far.