STOCKHOLM, Sweden, June 9 (UPI) -- A Swedish study finds that many new mothers left their babies in the nursery because they believe that is what hospital staff want them to do.
The survey conducted in Stockholm found that 73 percent of the mothers who did not keep their babies with them would have preferred to do so.
The World Health Organization and UNICEF are promoting allowing mothers and newborns to remain in the same room, partly because doctors believe it promotes breast-feeding.
But officials say that in the United States 26 percent of babies still spend their nights in the nursery and the percentage appears to be much higher in Europe.
"Negative staff attitudes towards night rooming-in might implicitly suggest to mothers that closeness between mothers and babies is not important," said Kristin Svensson, a principal investigator on the Stockholm study.
The study, which was funded by the Swedish government, was reported in the journal "Birth."
