Mothers from households which don't have enough food are going to great lengths to ensure their infants are fed well, often at the expense of their own wellbeing, a University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka-led study has shown.
Dr Ioanna Katiforis
Lead author Dr Ioanna Katiforis, who completed the research at Otago's Department of Human Nutrition, says these women prioritised feeding their infants by stretching limited resources, sacrificing the quality of their own diets, and seeking support, despite the shame and embarrassment it caused them.
"The extensive effort that mothers devoted to feeding infants nutritiously so their babies could thrive highlighted their determination and skill. However, their actions also created significant challenges which negatively affected their wellbeing," she says.
Considered a major public health concern, food insecurity occurs when a household has limited or uncertain access, or ability to acquire in socially acceptable ways, nutritionally adequate and safe foods.
"It's driven by inequality, inadequate access to and affordability of healthy diets, and an increase in unhealthy food environments. Most concerningly, it is associated with inadequate dietary intakes, anaemia, chronic illness, developmental delays, and poorer academic performance in children."
In Aotearoa New Zealand, the number of households with children aged 0-4 years that reported running out of food increased from 14 per cent in 2020 to 20 per cent in 2024.
The study, published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, explored mothers' experiences of introducing complementary foods to their infants in the context of household food insecurity.
Mothers universally reserved the most nutritious foods for their children, compromising the quality of their own diets.
"Some mothers were eating cheap filler foods, particularly bread, instead of the meals they prepared for their children. A few ate sandwiches or toast for their evening meal, with one mother explaining that 'a piece of bread will fill you up' when she was hungry," Dr Katiforis says.
Several mothers described limiting their own food intake to ensure more food was available for their children, either by reducing their portion sizes or skipping meals entirely.
"They were adamant that they had to go without so their children would have enough food. One mother planned for when she would go without, masking her hunger with water."
For several mothers, breastfeeding was a goal, however it was not always perceived as a 'free' option due to the mental and physical exhaustion associated with keeping up their milk supply.
Other mothers put "substantial effort" into planning, researching, implementing and evaluating strategies to stretch their financial resources.
When it came to seeking or accepting outside help, maintaining dignity and a sense of autonomy was central to many accounts.
"Some relied on financial support from their parents or parents-in-law, others wouldn't access food banks because they felt embarrassed or believed other families were in greater need, and while some applied for one-off food grants from Work and Income, it was always a last resort because of negative experiences they'd had with the service."
Dr Katiforis says the study highlights the need for longer-term, family-centred, and systemic solutions to address food insecurity in New Zealand.
"Rather than relying on charitable food assistance and one-off food grants, food assistance programmes could be integrated into existing maternal and child health services for low-income families, streamlining support and reducing stigma.
"Policies across multiple sectors, including health, housing, labour, and social welfare, that increase financial resources for low-income households with infants are essential to enable mothers to feed themselves and their children nutritiously."
