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Background.  Research has indicated that parental attitudes are strong predictors of choice of infant feeding. Identification and understanding of the infant feeding attitudes of mothers and their social networks should be an early step in the design and implementation of breastfeeding interventions.

Aim.  To compare the infant feeding attitudes of parents of breastfed infants with those of parents of formula fed infants.

Methods.  A survey was carried out with a convenience sample of pregnant women (gestational age 8–12 weeks) attending three maternity clinics in Scotland in 2000. Expectant mothers and their partners (n = 108 couples) completed the 17 item Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale. Demographic information was collected by face‐to‐face interview and the method of feeding at discharge from hospital was obtained from medical records.

Results.  Parents of breastfed infants had more positive …