title: Influences on breastfeeding outcomes for healthy term and preterm/sick infants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated breastfeeding outcomes and factors associated with duration of breastfeeding in cohorts of healthy term and sick/preterm infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Follow-up was conducted of 87 sick/preterm and 92 term healthy infants during the 9 months following discharge from two Western Australian hospitals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When corrected for gestational age, breastfeeding duration did not differ between the entire cohort of sick/preterm and term healthy groups. Multivariable analysis showed that early cessation of breastfeeding was more likely for infants born at <33 weeks of gestation (hazard ratio [HR ]=2.05, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.14-3.69), mothers who had previously breastfed for <6 months (HR=3.67, 95% CI=2.12-6.37), and for mothers who perceived breastfeeding to be important rather than very important (HR=2.58, 95% CI=1.59-4.20).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal perceptions of breastfeeding as "important" rather than "very important" and previous breastfeeding duration of <6 months are negatively associated with breastfeeding duration; these factors can be identified and addressed during pregnancy and in the postnatal period. Preterm infants born at <33 weeks of gestation have a shorter breastfeeding duration than those born at a later gestation.
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical, Biomolecular, and Chemical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia. perres01@student.uwa.edu.au
authors.forename: Sharon L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Perrella
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Nathan
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fenwick
authors.forename: Peter E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.forename: Donna T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Geddes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007229:Infant Welfare; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011247:Pregnancy; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014904:Western Australia / Q000453:epidemiology