The association between cesarean delivery and breast-feeding outcomes among Mexican women.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined the impact of cesarean section delivery on the initiation and duration of breast-feeding in the 1987 Mexican Demographic and Health Survey.


METHODS
The subsample (n = 2517) was restricted to women whose delivery of their last-born children (aged 5 years and younger) was attended by a physician. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine the association between cesarean section and likelihood of either not initiating breast-feeding or doing so for less than 1 month. Among women who breast-fed for 1 month or more, multivariate survival analysis was used to examine the relationship between cesarean section and breast-feeding duration.


RESULTS
Cesarean section was a risk factor for not initiating breast-feeding (odds ratio [OR] = 0.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.50, 0.82) and for breast feeding for less than 1 month (OR = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.37, 0.91) but was unrelated to breast-feeding duration among women who breast-fed for 1 month or more (OR = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.86, 1.11).


CONCLUSIONS
It is desirable to provide additional breast-feeding support during the early postpartum period to women who deliver via cesarean sections.
Pérez-Escamilla
R
R
Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, 06269-4017, USA.
Maulén-Radovan
I
I
Dewey
K G
KG
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008800:Mexico; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010298:Parity; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors