*4.2. Limitations*

This study involved participants from a rural community in South Africa, characterized by high rates of poverty. The findings might, therefore, not be representative of all children in other communities, pertaining to their first 1000 days of life. Conducting the study on a small scale with a total of 18 female participants from one area limits the generalizability of the findings in terms of being representative of all children's first 1000 days. The interview schedule that was utilized during the interviews was limited to 12 questions, resulting in some areas not being explored. For example, the age of the mothers during pregnancy, or whether the pregnancy was planned were not specifically asked. Another aspect that was not explored, was the mothers' substance use/abuse after birth while

they were breastfeeding, since this was not a definite question, and not mentioned by the mothers.

#### *4.3. Implications for Future Research*

Future research should include a larger sample size, or be conducted in other communities besides rural communities. Future qualitative studies should explore other aspects that could have affected the first 1000 days of the lives of children, for example, whether mothers consumed alcohol or used other substances while breastfeeding. Since the first 1000 days are affected by various factors, a quantitative study could provide information with a numerical value relating to these different factors. Future research should evaluate the impact of numerous first 1000 days initiatives worldwide, to provide insight and recommendations regarding the best interventions and strategies.
