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Data come from semistructured interviews with seven women conducted in June–July 2024. Key barriers include prohibitions on breastfeeding in front of others, aversion, limited awareness of benefits, and insufficient breastfeeding skills plus being overlooked. Facilitators include beliefs that breastmilk is healthier than formula, updated attitudes, determination and resourcefulness, and a new concept of partner support.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":35,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/exploring-barriers-and-facilitators-to-breastfeeding-infants-among-gypsies-and-travellers-in-wales-a-qualitative-study/449725/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/exploring-barriers-and-facilitators-to-breastfeeding-infants-among-gypsies-and-travellers-in-wales-a-qualitative-study/449725.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"dhado","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-30","2026-09-30",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":52},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What was the research question and study aim?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"The study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to breastfeeding infants as perceived and experienced by Gypsies and Travellers in Wales, using contemporary qualitative data.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"Which barriers to breastfeeding were reported?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"The study reported four main barriers: breastfeeding in front of others is prohibited, aversion to breastfeeding, reduced awareness of health benefits, and limited skills plus being overlooked.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"What facilitators could support breastfeeding?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"Facilitators included beliefs that breastmilk is healthier than formula, awareness that attitudes are outdated, determination and resourcefulness, and the new concept that partners will support women to breastfeed.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},449725,1790813085,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":34,"category_name":35,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":52,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":39,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":46,"preview_page_count":4},5909893218464,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_085a072bc5b1113ac321206ff7593b45","Open access Original research  \nTo cite: Parry S, Lim JNW. Exploring barriers and facilitators to breastfeeding infants among Gypsies and Travellers in Wales: a qualitative study. BMJ Paediatrics Open 2026;10:e003707 . doi:10 . 1136/ bmjpo-2025-003707  \nReceived 28 May 2025  \nAccepted 30 November 2025  \n© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2026. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ Group.  \n1Specialist Community Public Health Nurse/Health Visiting, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, Bridgend, UK 2School of Health and Society, University of Wolverhampton, Faculty of Education Health and Wellbeing, Walsall, UK  \nCorrespondence to  \nSarah Parry; sarah. parry12@ [wales.nhs.uk](wales.nhs.uk)  \nExploring barriers and facilitators to breastfeeding infants among Gypsies and Travellers in Wales: a qualitative study  \nSarah Parry  ,1 Jennifer Nyuk Wo Lim2  \nABSTRACT  \nBackground Despite the health benefits, just 3% of Gypsy and Traveller infants receive breastmilk.  \nMethods This study took place in June–July 2024 and involved semistructured interviews with seven Gypsy and Traveller women. It presents a grounded theory interpretation of the barriers and facilitators to breastfeeding infants that they perceive and experience. Results Four main barriers are presented: breastfeeding in front of others is prohibited; an aversion to breastfeeding; reduced awareness of the health benefits; and limited skills to breastfeed and being overlooked.  \nFour main facilitators are presented: breastmilk is thought to be healthier than formula; an awareness that attitudes to breastfeeding are outdated; determination and resourcefulness to breastfeed; and a new theoretical concept, that partners will support women to breastfeed. Conclusion Recommendations include ensuring  \nthat Gypsy and Traveller women and their partners are offered an antenatal contact with a midwife and health visitor to discuss the health benefits of breastfeeding and how to express breastmilk as well as breastfeed; collaboration with Gypsy and Traveller advocates to facilitate environmental change to enable breastfeeding; and further ethnographic research to understand the Gypsy and Traveller culture.  \nINTRODUCTION  \nIn the UK, 71 440 people (0.12% of the population) are recorded as Gypsy or Traveller (GT), and of these 3630 live in Wales.1 The ethnicity covers a diversity of people, including English and Welsh Gypsies and Irish, Scottish and Welsh Travellers.2 They report poorer health in all age groups and both sexes1 may have a reduced life expectancy of between 10 and 25 years3 and often experience higher infant mortality and increased child and maternal morbidity rates when compared with the general UK population.4  \nDespite the health benefits,5–7 research into rates of breastfeeding in the GT population suggests just 3% initiate breastfeeding their  \n\n| WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ON THIS TOPIC |\n| --- |\n| ⇒ Just 3% of Gypsy and Traveller women breastfeed their infants in comparison to over 80% of the general UK population, and 63% of the Welsh population.\u003Cbr>⇒ Reasons include a higher incidence of galactosaemia in Irish Travellers, reduced awareness of the health benefits, reduced skills to breastfeed and a reluctance to breastfeed in front of others.\u003Cbr>WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS |\n| ⇒ This study contributes to the body of knowledge about Gypsy and Traveller breastfeeding practice by identifying new concepts: that breastfeeding in front of others is against the rules and this can apply to a mother’s children; that it may be culturally acceptable to discuss breastfeeding in front of partners if privacy is ensured; and that Gypsies and Travellers need to be taught the skills to express breast milk as well as breastfeed.\u003Cbr>HOW THIS STUDY MIGHT AFFECT RESEARCH, PRACTICE OR POLICY |\n| ⇒ This study recommends that Gypsy and Traveller women and their partners are offered a discussion about breastfeeding during the antenat","cbCaiaQtIAFSV98v","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaiaQtIAFSV98v","pdf",378422,"English","# ABSTRACT\n## Background\n## Methods\n## Results\n## Conclusion\n# INTRODUCTION\n## Population context and rationale\n# Theoretical framework\n## COM-B model and Baby Friendly Initiative","[{\"question\":\"What was the research question and study aim?\",\"answer\":\"The study aimed to identify barriers and facilitators to breastfeeding infants as perceived and experienced by Gypsies and Travellers in Wales, using contemporary qualitative data.\"},{\"question\":\"Which barriers to breastfeeding were reported?\",\"answer\":\"The study reported four main barriers: breastfeeding in front of others is prohibited, aversion to breastfeeding, reduced awareness of health benefits, and limited skills plus being overlooked.\"},{\"question\":\"What facilitators could support breastfeeding?\",\"answer\":\"Facilitators included beliefs that breastmilk is healthier than formula, awareness that attitudes are outdated, determination and resourcefulness, and the new concept that partners will support women to breastfeed.\"}]","Exploring barriers and facilitators to breastfeeding infants among Gypsies and Travellers in Wales - a qualitative study | PDF",1790730973]