Published online April 3, 2006
PEDIATRICS Vol. 117 No. 4 April 2006, pp. e646-e655 (doi:10.1542/peds.2005-1991)

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services E-mail this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My File Cabinet Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Scott, J. A. Articles by Graham, K. I. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Scott, J. A. Articles by Graham, K. I. Related Collections Nutrition & Metabolism Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Predictors of Breastfeeding Duration: Evidence From a Cohort Study

Jane A. Scott, PhD, MPH^a,b, Colin W. Binns, PhD, MPH, MBBS^b, Wendy H. Oddy, PhD, MPH^b,c and Kathleen I. Graham, BSc, Grad Dip Nutr Diet^b

^a Division of Developmental Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland
^b School of Public Health, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia
^c Centre for Child Health Research, University of Western Australia, Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Perth, Australia

OBJECTIVE. To report the duration of breastfeeding among a population of Australian women and to identify factors that are associated with the duration of full breastfeeding to 6 months and any breastfeeding to 12 months.

METHODS. Participants were 587 women who were recruited from 2 maternity hospitals in Perth and completed a baseline questionnaire just before or shortly after discharge from the hospital. Women were followed up by telephone interview at 4, 10, 16, 22, 32, 40, and 52 weeks postpartum. Data collected included sociodemographic, biomedical, hospital-related, and psychosocial factors associated with the initiation and the duration of breastfeeding. Cox's proportional hazards model was used to identify factors that were associated with the risk for discontinuing full breastfeeding before 6 months and any breastfeeding before 12 months.

RESULTS. At 6 months of age, fewer than one half of infants were receiving any breast milk (45.9%), and only 12% were being fully breastfed. By 12 months, only 19.2% of infants were still receiving any breast milk. Breastfeeding duration was independently, positively associated with maternal infant feeding attitudes and negatively associated with breastfeeding difficulties in the first 4 weeks, maternal smoking, introduction of a pacifier, and early return to work.

CONCLUSIONS. Relatively few women achieved the international recommendations for duration of full and overall breastfeeding. Women should receive anticipatory guidance while still in the hospital on how to prevent or manage common breastfeeding difficulties and should be discouraged from introducing a pacifier before 10 weeks, if at all. Improved maternity leave provisions and more flexible working conditions may help women to remain at home with their infants longer and/or to combine successfully breastfeeding with employment outside the home.

---

Key Words: breastfeeding • duration • maternal employment • pacifiers • breastfeeding problems

Abbreviations: PIFS—Perth Infant Feeding Study • SCN—special care nursery • WHO—World Health Organization • CI—confidence interval • IIFAS—Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale

---

Accepted Oct 3, 2005.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Facebook    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. L. Webb, D. W. Sellen, U. Ramakrishnan, and R. Martorell Maternal Years of Schooling but Not Academic Skills Is Independently Associated With Infant-Feeding Practices in a Cohort of Rural Guatemalan Women J Hum Lact, August 1, 2009; 25(3): 297 - 306. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. Asole, A. Spinelli, L. E. Antinucci, and D. Di Lallo Effect of Hospital Practices on Breastfeeding: A Survey in the Italian Region of Lazio J Hum Lact, August 1, 2009; 25(3): 333 - 340. [Abstract] [PDF]

				A. C. McKechnie, A. Tluczek, and J. B. Henriques Maternal Variables Influencing Duration of Breastfeeding Among Low-Income Mothers ICAN: Infant, Child, & Adolescent Nutrition, June 1, 2009; 1(3): 126 - 132. [Abstract] [PDF]

				N. R. O'Connor, K. O. Tanabe, M. S. Siadaty, and F. R. Hauck Pacifiers and Breastfeeding: A Systematic Review Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, April 1, 2009; 163(4): 378 - 382. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. O'Brien, E. Buikstra, T. Fallon, and D. Hegney Exploring the Influence of Psychological Factors on Breastfeeding Duration, Phase 1: Perceptions of Mothers and Clinicians J Hum Lact, February 1, 2009; 25(1): 55 - 63. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. R. Britton and H. L. Britton Maternal Self-Concept and Breastfeeding J Hum Lact, November 1, 2008; 24(4): 431 - 438. [Abstract] [PDF]

				R. Barria, G. Santander, and T. Victoriano Factors Associated With Exclusive Breastfeeding at 3 Months Postpartum in Valdivia, Chile J Hum Lact, November 1, 2008; 24(4): 439 - 445. [Abstract] [PDF]

				C. A. Canivet, P.-O. Ostergren, I. L. Jakobsson, E. Dejin-Karlsson, and B. M. Hagander Infantile colic, maternal smoking and infant feeding at 5 weeks of age Scand J Public Health, May 1, 2008; 36(3): 284 - 291. [Abstract] [PDF]