scholarly journals High education and increased parity are associated with breast-feeding initiation and duration among Australian women

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (14) ◽  
pp. 2551-2561 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie Holowko ◽  
Mark Jones ◽  
Ilona Koupil ◽  
Leigh Tooth ◽  
Gita Mishra

AbstractObjectiveBreast-feeding is associated with positive maternal and infant health and development outcomes. To assist identifying women less likely to meet infant nutritional guidelines, we investigated the role of socio-economic position and parity on initiation of and sustaining breast-feeding for at least 6 months.DesignProspective cohort study.SettingAustralia.SubjectsParous women from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (born 1973–78), with self-reported reproductive and breast-feeding history (N4777).ResultsWhile 89 % of women (83 % of infants) had ever breast-fed, only 60 % of infants were breast-fed for at least 6 months. Multiparous women were more likely to breast-feed their first child (~90 %v. ~71 % of primiparous women), and women who breast-fed their first child were more likely to breast-feed subsequent children. Women with a low education (adjusted OR (95 % CI): 2·09 (1·67, 2·62)) or a very low-educated parent (1·47 (1·16, 1·88)) had increased odds of not initiating breast-feeding with their first or subsequent children. While fewer women initiated breast-feeding with their youngest child, this was most pronounced among high-educated women. While ~60 % of women breast-fed their first, second and third child for at least 6 months, low-educated women (first child, adjusted OR (95 % CI): 2·19 (1·79, 2·68)) and women with a very low (1·82 (1·49, 2·22)) or low-educated parent (1·69 (1·33, 2·14)) had increased odds of not breast-feeding for at least 6 months.ConclusionsA greater understanding of barriers to initiating and sustaining breast-feeding, some of which are socio-economic-specific, may assist in reducing inequalities in infant breast-feeding.

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 88 (4) ◽  
pp. 745-750 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie Kurinij ◽  
Patricia H. Shiono

Factors influencing early formula supplementation in breast-fed neonates were examined among 726 women who were delivered of their first child in one of three metropolitan Washington, DC, hospitals. Thirty-seven percent of breast-fed neonates were given supplementary formula in the hospital. Mothers who gave birth at a university hospital were more likely to breast-feed exclusively (adjusted odds ratio 3.5; 95% confidence limit 2.1 to 5.9), after adjustment for maternal demographics, hospital factors (such as time of first breast-feed, demand feeding, delivery type, and rooming-in), and the maternal breast-feeding commitment. Aside from delivery hospital, a strong predictor of formula use was the time between birth and initiation of the first breast-feed. The longer a mother waited to initiate breast-feeding the more likely she was to use formula; the adjusted odds ratios for women who initiated breast-feeding 2 to 6 hours, 7 to 11 hours, and 12 or more hours postpartum were 1.1, 0.5, and 0.2, respectively. Feeding the baby on demand, having a vaginal delivery, deciding to breast-feed before pregnancy, having a college education, and being married also were moderately, though significantly, predictive of exclusive breast-feeding. The findings suggest that hospital influences can promote formula use and indirectly shorten breast-feeding duration, particularly those hospital practices that delay early initiation of breast-feeding.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1984 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
pp. 695-701
Author(s):  
John E. Anderson ◽  
James S. Marks ◽  
Tai-Keun Park

In this section we consider the indirect effects of breast-feeding on infant health through its effect on birth intervals. First, we examine the evidence that breast-feeding is associated with longer intervals between births. Then we discuss studies that have attempted to show that short birth intervals are related to poorer infant health. EFFECT OF BREAST-FEEDING ON INTERVALS BETWEEN BIRTHS Breast-feeding is associated with a delay in the return of ovulation after a birth, with longer intervals between births, and with lower fertility rates occurring in populations where this practice is prolonged. In a recent issue of Population Reports,13 numerous studies that evaluate the contraceptive effect of breast-feeding were reviewed. Studies that link breast-feeding and fertility include clinical reports based on small numbers of women, larger prospective studies, and single-round demographic surveys which may be representative of national populations. Clinical Studies Because ovulation is difficult to measure, studies linking breast-feeding with ovulation have been limited to small numbers of clinic-based subjects.4,14,17 These studies have shown that women who breast-feed—and those who breast-feed for longer periods—tend to ovulate later following a birth than other women. This effect is believed to be related to the hormone prolactin, which is released through the stimulus caused by the infant's sucking. Prolactin promotes the production of breast milk and is believed to be related to the inhibition of ovulation. Levels of prolactin and the anovulatory effect are related to the frequency and intensity of nursing. Thus, women who breast-feed partially on infrequently, while giving supplementary food, are more likely to ovulate than those who breast-feed fully.


2010 ◽  
Vol 17 (02) ◽  
pp. 286-290
Author(s):  
SOHAIL ASLAM ◽  
FAROOQ AKRAM ◽  
MEHBOOB SULTAN

Objective To study the duration and factors influencing exclusive breast feeding practice. Design: A cross sectional descriptive study Setting: A primary care hospital Gilgit, northern area of Pakistan. Period: Ten months from March 2007 to December 2007. Material & Method This study include 125 mothers with mean age of 24.3 years (SD 4.8),37% were illiterate while only 14% were matriculate or above among 125 babies (male 61%: female 39%). Results Out of total 125, eighty one (64.8%) babies were exclusively breast fed (EBF) for first six months of life and only five(4%) infants were not given breast milk at all . among 76 male infants ,52 (68.4%) were EBF for six months in comparison to 29 female (59.2%) out of 49. among 36 first born infants only 15 (41.7%) were EBF for six months in comparison to 66 (74.2%)out of 89 not first born(p<0.05). Conclusion: Exclusive breast feeding for complete 6 months is still not routinely practised by most of mothers and first born are deprived of this right in majority lower socioeconomic group and illiterate mothers are more likelyto breast feed, gender bias was also observed as a significantly high percentage of male babies were observed to be breast fed as compared to females. More efforts are required by health depart. And NGO’s to promote good breast feeding practices in our setup. 


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1984 ◽  
Vol 74 (4) ◽  
pp. 579-583

Domestic Although the rate of breast-feeding is increasing in the United States, it appears that the rate of increase has been much slower among less well educated and economically disadvantaged women. Relatively little is known about the behavioral and attitudinal factors that affect the decisions to breast-feed or to stop if already breast-feeding. Breast-feeding does appear to decrease an infant's risk of gastrointestinal infection and otitis media. The effect of method of infant feeding on risk of other infections and allergic illness is less certain. International The rate of breast-feeding in developing countries appears to have declined, especially among urban women. Although some sociodemographic correlates of infant-feeding choice have been examined, little is known about the behavioral and attitudinal factors that influence choice and duration of infant-feeding practices. Milk insufficiency, maternal employment, and pregnancy frequently are given as reasons for terminating breast-feeding. Rates of gastrointestinal illness are lower among breast-fed infants and when such illness is an important cause of death, infant mortality from this cause appears to be reduced. A randomized clinical trial carried out among high-risk infants found a significantly lower rate of infections among those given breast milk than those fed with infant formula. The evidence of the effect of breast-feeding on respiratory tract and other infections from other studies was less clear. Direct comparison of the growth of predominately breast-fed v artificially fed infants in the same populations from developing countries generally show faster growth for the breast-fed infants for the first 6 months of life. After 6 months, severe growth faltering occurs regardless of the method of feeding. In communities where the nutritional adequacy of supplementary foods is poor, breast milk is an extremely important, high-quality food during the second half of infancy and beyond.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1966 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 299-303
Author(s):  
Eva J. Salber ◽  
Manning Feinleib

Incidence of breast-feeding has been examined in 2,233 women who gave birth to babies in hospitals in Boston, Brookline, and Newton in August or September, 1963. Information on breast-feeding was obtained from the mothers by mailed questionnaires and by telephone. Twenty-two per cent of the mothers attempted breast-feeding. Five per cent of the total population breast-fed their babies for 6 months or more. Sex and birth weight of babies do not affect frequency of breast-feeding. Social class is found to be the most important variable affecting incidence of breast feeding. Women who are married to students exhibit the highest incidence of breast-feeding (69.3%). Upper social class women breast-feed more frequently (39.8%) than women in lower social classes (13.6%). Students do not show any variation in breast-feeding patterns by age of mother, parity, or birthplace, but these variables do influence the breast-feeding patterns of women in other social classes.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1990 ◽  
Vol 86 (5) ◽  
pp. 741-746 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naomi Kistin ◽  
Dessa Benton ◽  
Sita Rao ◽  
Myrtis Sullivan

Many factors are associated with low breast-feeding rates among black low-income women. This study examines whether, despite such factors, health professionals' prenatal education of black poor women is assoicated with increased breast-feeding rates. Black women born in the United States who attended a midwives prenatal clinic (N = 159) were randomly assigned to two types of prenatal education or were followed up in a control group. All women were interviewed on entry into the study and after delivery of their infants. Women assigned to group classes attended at least one session discussing myths, problems, and benefits of breast-feeding. Women assigned to individual prenatal counseling spoke with a pediatrician or nurse practitioner, who discussed breast-feeding topics similar to those covered in the classes. Women in the control group received no additional prenatal education. The three study groups had significantly different percentages of women who breast-fed (controls 22%, classes 46%, individual sessions 53%). Higher percentages of women in the study groups carried out their prenatal plans to breast-feed (controls 50%, classes 86%, individual sessions 62%) or breast-fed despite prenatal plans to bottle-feed (controls 10%, classes 26%, individual sessions 48%). After multivariable analysis controlling for age, prenatal pians to breast-feed, prior breast-feeding experience, perceived support for breast-feeding, education, gravidity, and employment plans, women in intervention groups had a higher likelihood of breast-feeding than control subjects. These findings suggest that an increase in relatively simple, not-too-time-consuming educational efforts in institutions and offices serving black low-income women might yield significant narrowing of the gap in breast-feeding rates between white affluent women and black low-income women.


1978 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 389-400
Author(s):  
C. M. Langford

SummarySome retrospective data collected in a survey carried out in 1967–68 show that the practice of breast-feeding declined markedly in Great Britain between the 1930s and the 1960s. Throughout, women higher up the social-educational scale breast-fed more than those lower down. Women marrying before the age of 20 (as well as those marrying at age 30 or older) tended to breast-feed less than those marrying in their twenties; for the former, the explanation was probably ‘social’. Needing, or choosing, to return to work soon after confinement was not, in general, an important inhibiting factor so far as breast-feeding was concerned. From the 1967–68 data, there seemed to be a negative association between the level of breast-feeding and birth order, but this may not have been ‘genuine’ since other data did not agree. There was a positive association between level of breast-feeding and family size, for family sizes up to four, but a drop for those with five or more children. This latter feature could be the result of a tendency for those with large families to arrive at this situation by way of short interbirth intervals, this in turn being associated with low levels of breast-feeding; the former might possibly reflect a positive link between women' capacity to breast-feed and their capacity to bear children.


1998 ◽  
Vol 172 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Yoshida ◽  
B. Smith ◽  
M. Craggs ◽  
R. Channi Kumar

BackgroundSelective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are currently the most widely prescribed antidepressant drugs. There are only four published studies of breast-feeding mothers and their infants in which the mothers were taking fluoxetine.MethodFour mothers who took fluoxetine and their breast-fed infants were studied. Samples of plasma, breast-milk and urine were taken from the mothers and of plasma and urine from infants for assays of drug and metabolite concentrations. Bayley Scales of Infant Development were repeatedly used to assess cognitive and psychomotor development of the infants.ResultsFluoxetine and norfluoxetine were detected in all samples of maternal plasma (range of total concentration 138–427 ng/ml) and in breast-milk (range 39–177 ng/ml). Amounts of both fluoxetine and norfluoxetine in infants' plasma and urine were below the lower limit of detection. All infants were observed to be developing normally and showed no abnormal findings on neurological examination.ConclusionsMuch larger databases are needed but these four cases do not provide any evidence to suggest that women who are maintained on therapeutic doses of fluoxetine should discontinue breast-feeding their infants if they wish to breast-feed.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Yi ◽  
C. Kim ◽  
M. Park ◽  
Y. Han ◽  
J. Y. Park ◽  
...  

Bisphenol A (BPA) and alkylphenols (APs) are well-known endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) which may threat the next generations' health. We performed biomonitoring of these phenols in colostrums to assess risk of the phenols in breast-fed neonates. Study subjects were the lactating mothers who delivered babies within 2 weeks (N=325; 30.67±3.45 years) and their neonates (N=326; embryonic period, 39.1±1.5 weeks). BPA, nonylphenol (NP), and octylphenol (OP) in colostrums were quantified with LC/MS/MS. Information for environmental exposure sources of the phenols was obtained by questionnaires. As results, median level of BPA in colostrums was 7.8 ng/mL, while most NP or OP was not detected. Regarding health risks of phenols, levels of total NP in colostrums were elevated among sick mothers with toxemia, thyroid disorders, gastritis, and so forth than health mothers (3.51±4.98 versus 2.04±3.71 ng/mL,P=0.02). Dairy products intake and detergents use were positively correlated with total BPA levels (Ps<0.05). In conclusion, we estimate most neonates who are exposed to BPA rather than NP or OP via colostrums and recommend continuous biomonitoring of the phenols to clarify their suspected health risk on neonates and pregnant or gestation mothers.


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