Duration of breastfeeding among first-time mothers in the United States: results of a national survey.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the characteristics of primiparous women who breastfeed for only short periods of time.


METHODS
The 2002 National Survey of Family Growth was used to analyze the characteristics of a national probability sample of 3229 first-time US mothers aged 15 to 44 y with children ages 1 to 18 y old, 1960 of whom breastfed. Main outcome measures in the cross-sectional study included breastfeeding at birth and at 3 mo as determined by in-person, computer-assisted interviews conducted by trained female interviewers.


RESULTS
Sixty-two percent of first-time mothers with singleton live births initiated any breastfeeding and 36% were still breastfeeding at 3 mo. Those who were older, married, and at higher educational levels were significantly more likely to continue breastfeeding beyond 3 mo. These same demographic factors were associated with differences in breastfeeding rates both early (within the first week of life) and consistently over the first 3 mo. In multivariate analyses, only educational level remained as a predictor of breastfeeding.


CONCLUSIONS
Targeted breastfeeding interventions for young, single, less-educated women are warranted in a culturally sensitive context, both prenatally and immediately postpartum, to improve the duration of breastfeeding among first-time mothers in the US.
Taylor
Julie Scott
JS
Department of Family Medicine, Brown Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island, USA. julie_taylor@brown.edu
Risica
Patricia Markham
PM
Geller
Lauren
L
Kirtania
Usree
U
Cabral
Howard J
HJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008423:Maternal Age; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D049590:Postpartum Period; D017584:Reproductive History; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States