The duration of breast-feeding. A longitudinal prospective study in Denmark.
A longitudinal prospective study was performed to investigate the total duration of breast-feeding. Three hundred and sixty-six mothers were followed-up until 3 years after delivery. At 1 month 93% were breast-feeding, at 3 months 73%, at 6 months 52%, at 1 year 20% and 1% breast-fed more than 3 years. Correlations were found between duration of breast-feeding and maternal age, education and social class. Mothers who had breast-fed an older child usually breast-fed the next child for a period of similar length. Solid food was most frequently introduced when the infants were 4 months old. At 6 months 4% were still exclusively breast-fed. Breast-feeding has become popular: only 1% did not want to breast-feed at all and 89% of mothers intended to breast-feed their children for 6 months or more. Even though the mothers now breast-feed longer than earlier, only 39% succeeded in breast-feeding for as long as or longer than they had intended.
Vestermark
V
V
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Central Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark.
Høgdall
C K
CK
Plenov
G
G
Birch
M
M
Toftager-Larsen
K
K
D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding; D003718:Denmark; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007225:Infant Food; D015993:Life Tables; D008423:Maternal Age; D010298:Parity; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors