Navigating infant food insecurity: low-income parents infant feeding intentions and practices in the UK

TL;DR

This study explores how low-income UK parents manage infant feeding during a cost-of-living crisis, highlighting financial struggles, stigma, and the need for support.

Contribution

This is the first qualitative study examining UK parents' infant feeding experiences during the cost-of-living crisis.

Findings

Parents struggle to afford infant food and formula, often sacrificing their own needs.

Stigma and embarrassment are common when accessing support for infant feeding.

Healthcare professionals rarely discuss financial issues or infant feeding challenges with parents.

Abstract

Food insecurity is increasingly being recognised as a public health issue in high income countries, exacerbated for many by the recent cost-of-living crisis. High food prices mean many households, especially those with children, are vulnerable to food insecurity. Since 2021, and the emergence of the UK’s ‘cost-of-living crisis’, food charities have reported increased requests for support from families with young children. However, the experience of food insecurity amongst families with very young infants remains poorly understood. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first qualitative study exploring UK parents’ and carers’ lived experiences of the impact of the cost of living crisis on their infant feeding intentions and practices. Semi-structured interviews (N = 11) were conducted with parents’/ carers’ living in Scotland, who self-identified as living with food insecurity and were or had been responsible for feeding an infant aged 0–6 months born any time from January 2022. Using thematic analysis, seven main themes were identified: 1) The struggle to afford food and formula in the face of reduced income, 2) Earning but struggling: a lack of financial support for parents in work, 3) Hard work and sacrifice, parents' actions to secure food for their baby, 4) Don’t ask, don’t tell: limited to no conversations about finances or formula with healthcare professionals, 5) Positive views about breastfeeding but challenges dictating practice, 6) Income shortfall struggles: the provision of support from family and third sector organisations, 7) Experiences of stigma and guilt accessing and receiving support. Parents can struggle to afford food to feed their families and infant formula, which could lead them to sacrifice their own food needs. Families and third sector organisations often provide financial and instrumental support for new parents living on a low income. However, this study indicates that some parents can experience stigma and embarrassment accessing this type of support. Conversations with healthcare professionals around new parent’s financial circumstances and infant formula could provide an opportunity for intervention and support.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-025-25822-2.

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