title: Maternal hospital experiences associated with breastfeeding at 6 months in a northern California county.
abstract: A retrospective cohort study of infant-feeding practices at 6 months of age was conducted for 382 breastfed infants in a semirural northern California county. The authors hypothesized that almost exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months would be related to maternal experiences in the hospital. Multiple logistic regression analysis, controlling for maternal age and education, found that almost exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months was positively associated with receiving a telephone number for breastfeeding help from the hospital (odds ratio, 6.45; 95% confidence interval, 1.23-33.9), use of a breast pump in the first 6 months (odds ratio, 2.19; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-4.76), and gestational age (odds ratio, 2.26; 95% confidence interval, 1.08-4.71 for a 4-week age difference), whereas formula supplementation at the hospital had a negative association (odds ratio, 0.27; 95% confidence interval, 0.13-0.56). Making postpartum breastfeeding support easily accessible and offering breast pumps at low or no cost may help to increase exclusive breastfeeding rates in this county.
authors.affiliation: California Department of Public Health, Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention Program, Richmond, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Haydee A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Dabritz
authors.forename: Bette G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Hinton
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Babb
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006771:Hospitals, Maternity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models; D008423:Maternal Age; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012944:Social Support; D013997:Time Factors