title: Influences on breastfeeding in southeast England.
abstract: Factors associated with not exclusively breastfeeding at discharge from the obstetric hospital and with duration of breastfeeding were examined in 700 randomly sampled infants. Obstetric records were examined in 97.7% of the subjects and 73.0% of subject families were interviewed. There were 444 (66.5%) infants exclusively breastfed at discharge from the obstetric hospital. Factors associated with not exclusively breastfeeding at discharge from the obstetric hospital after adjusting for potential confounders were: mother leaving school aged less than 18 years, mother not attending antenatal classes and the use of a dummy in the 2 weeks before the interview. Bed sharing practice in the 2 weeks before the interview was associated with exclusively breastfeeding at discharge from the obstetric hospital. Factors associated with a shorter duration of breastfeeding were: mother leaving school before 18 years of age, smoking 20 or more cigarettes per day and use of a dummy. Dummy use may causally reduce breastfeeding or might be a marker for breastfeeding difficulties. There was a dose-response relationship with smoking, with heavier smokers breastfeeding for the shortest time periods. Bed sharing was associated with a longer duration of breastfeeding. This may not necessarily be a causal relationship because breastfeeding may promote bed sharing. The effect of dummy use and bed sharing on breastfeeding warrants further study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Clements
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Esmail
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Ford
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006771:Hospitals, Maternity; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D012386:Rooming-in Care; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors