title: Infant formula samples: perinatal sources and breast-feeding outcomes at 1 month postpartum.
abstract: The purpose was to describe sources of infant formula samples during the perinatal period and assess their associations with breast-feeding outcomes at 1 month postpartum. Subjects included expectant mothers who anticipated breast-feeding at least 1 month. Infant feeding history and sources of formula samples were obtained at 1 month postpartum. Associations between sources and breast-feeding outcomes were assessed using partial correlation. Of the 61 subjects who initiated breast-feeding, most were white (87%), married (75%), college-educated (75%), and planned exclusive breast-feeding (82%). Forty-two subjects (69%) continued breast-feeding at 1 month postpartum. Subjects received formula samples from the hospital (n = 40; 66%), physician's office (n = 10; 16%), and mail (n = 41; 67%). There were no significant correlations between formula samples from the hospital, physician's office, and/or mail and any or exclusive breast-feeding at 1 month (P > .05). In addition to the hospital, a long-standing source of formula samples, mail was also frequently reported as a route for distribution. The lack of statistically significant associations between formula samples and any or exclusive breast-feeding at 1 month may be related to small sample size and unique characteristics of the group studied.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Family and Consumer Sciences (Ms Thurston and Dr Chezem) and Education Psychology (Dr Bolin), Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thurston
authors.forename: Jocelyn H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Bolin
authors.forename: Jo Carol
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Chezem
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000329:Advertising; D001903:Bottle Feeding / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D041943:Infant Formula / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D040541:Marketing / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008425:Maternal Behavior; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D049590:Postpartum Period; D011247:Pregnancy; D037841:Pregnant People / Q000523:psychology; D013223:Statistics as Topic