Unintended pregnancy and breast-feeding behavior.
OBJECTIVE
This study assessed the effect of unintended pregnancy on breast-feeding behavior.


METHODS
All women delivering a live birth between January 1, 1995, and July 31, 1996 (n = 33,735), in the 15-county central New York region were asked whether they had intended to become pregnant and their breast-feeding plans.


RESULTS
Women with mistimed pregnancies, and pregnancies that were not wanted were significantly less likely to breast-feed than were women whose pregnancies were planned. After adjustment for confounding variables and contraindications for breast-feeding, the odds ratios of not breast-feeding remained significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Promoting breast-feeding among women with unintended pregnancies is important to improve health status.
Dye
T D
TD
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, State University of New York Health Science Center at Syracuse, USA.
Wojtowycz
M A
MA
Aubry
R H
RH
Quade
J
J
Kilburn
H
H
D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009518:New York; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000523:psychology*; D011275:Pregnancy, Unwanted / Q000523:psychology*