Introduction

In response to the nation's continued need to understand and improve the health status of mothers and children, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), in collaboration with other federal agencies, conducted a longitudinal consumer-based research study. This study collected information from mothers using a series of questionnaires administered from the woman's seventh month of pregnancy through the infant's first year of life. The study provides detailed information about

• Foods fed to infants, including breast milk and infant formula
• Factors that may contribute to infant feeding practices and to breastfeeding success
• Mothers' intrapartum hospital experiences, sources of support, and postpartum depression
• Mothers' employment status and child care arrangements
• Infant sleeping arrangements
• Other issues such as food allergies, experiences with breast pumps, and WIC participation
• Diets of pregnant and postpartum women

The study also served as a vital component to an evaluation of the Department of Health and Human Services' (DHHS) National Breastfeeding Awareness Campaign.

Supporting Statement for OMB Review (PDF-132k)
A comprehensive description of the Infant Feeding Practices Study II is included as part of the HHS Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Clearance Application for the survey.

Publications based on the IFPS II
A number of research papers have been published using data from the IFPS II.

• National Immunization Study (NIS)
• National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG)
• National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)
• Pregnancy Nutrition Surveillance System (PNSS)
• Pregnancy Risk Assessment Survey (PRAMS)
• Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System (PedNSS)

back to top

Please note: Some of these publications are available for download only as *.pdf files. These files require Adobe Acrobat Reader in order to be viewed. Please review the information on downloading and using Acrobat Reader software.