New research has found there is a need for Māori values and life experiences to be incorporated into national nutritional guidelines for pēpi during their formative years.
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Māori dietitian and Māori health researcher Hannah Rapata says she decided to pursue this as her masters research because she is aware of the inequities Māori face across every stage of life and the importance that early life nutrition has for long term health outcomes.
Rapata says many Māori parents see infant feeding as a natural and instinctive process led by their pēpi, rather than a process that is strict and in line with guidelines.
"Many of the parents we interviewed say they felt more safer and supported when going with their instinct and following their pēpi's cues, rather than listening to the advice or information from health professionals because that advice and information didn't take into account the lived experiences and cultural experiences of Māori," Rapata said.
There are guidelines provided by Plunket around what to feed pēpi, when to feed pēpi, and some advice around different types of foods.
"It's not necessarily strict guidelines but it can be perceived as strict, like around not feeding pēpi kai before six months and the sorts of kai that are recommended."
She says the research shows there is importance in responsive feeding and responsive parenting, which is following the baby's cues and when they are ready to start eating kai rather than a specific age to start them on solid kai.
"There's a lot of evidence around responsive feeding practices being really good for babies and their nutritional wellbeing," Rapata said.
She is now advocating for changes to national guidelines that reflect responsive feeding and resources that have more culturally relevant infant nutrition information and support.
Rapata said there are two resources being developed which are nearly ready for release. They are funded by Ngā Pae o Te Māramatanga and Toi Tangata, an Māori health agency.
The first resource will be for Māori whānau, to support them to safely practice responsive feeding.
The second resource is for health professionals that work with Māori whānau so that they can support them to feed their baby the kai they want to, in a way they want to.
"We want to make sure our health professionals are providing culturally safe information and advice as well."
Rapata found many whānau were receiving advice to give packaged foods.
"This doesn't align with our parents view on kai and the connection it has to the whenua and our tīpuna, so it can be seen as a continuation of the colonisation process."
Another key finding was how whānau find infant complimentary feeding, or infant feeding, can be a part of a process of decolonisation as a whānau.
"Some of our whānau were strong in their cultural connection but some were less strong and were using infant feeding as a process to reconnect them to their whakapapa and their tīpuna. They did that through feeding their pēpi food that their tīpuna would eat, food that connected them with the whenua, and that sort of thing, rather than foods that perhaps have less of a connection to there as well."
She says one of the older mothers with adult children talked about how their grandmother never breastfed and only used bottle feeding.
"This because that was seen as a Pākehā thing to do and she wanted to appear Pākehā and feel a part of society so bottle feeding was a part of those."
A lot of the younger māmā said breastfeeding was the ideal, but not always possible - it was what was strived for.
"This is a real example of the process of decolonisation over perhaps 20 to 30 years.
She says it is important that we prioritise the health of our pēpi as they are the future.
"They are the continuation of our whakapapa and really important, under the rights of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the United Nations declaration of the rights of indigenous people, our pēpi is prioritised and given the support and that there is information to prioritise their health as well."
