title: Adherence to breastfeeding guidelines and maternal weight 6 years after delivery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is a dearth of information on the long-term maternal effects of breastfeeding. The objective of this study was to examine adherence to breastfeeding recommendations of exclusive breastfeeding for ≥4 months and continuation of breastfeeding for ≥1 year and maternal weight retention 6 years after delivery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using data from the Infant Feeding Practices Study II (IFPS II), we categorized women by the degree to which they met breastfeeding recommendations. Mothers' self-reported weight 6 years after delivery (IFPS Year 6 Follow-Up) was compared with self-reported prepregnancy weight from IFPS II. Using linear regression models, adjusting for covariates, we examined associations between breastfeeding recommendation adherence and weight retention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 726 women in our study, 17.9% never breastfed. Among those who initiated breastfeeding, 29.0% breastfed exclusively for ≥4 months, and 20.3% breastfed exclusively for ≥4 months and continued breastfeeding for ≥12 months. Prepregnancy BMI modified the association between breastfeeding recommendation adherence and weight retention. Adjusting for covariates, we found no association between breastfeeding recommendations adherence and weight retention among normal and overweight mothers. Among obese mothers, there was a significant linear trend (P = .03), suggesting that those who fully adhered to breastfeeding recommendations retained less weight (-8.0 kg) than obese women who never breastfed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests that improving adherence to breastfeeding recommendations may help reduce long-term maternal weight retention among obese mothers. Larger studies, with diverse populations and similar longitudinal designs, are needed to explore this relationship.
authors.affiliation: US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, Atlanta, Georgia; Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; and AJSharma@cdc.gov.
authors.forename: Andrea J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, Atlanta, Georgia; Division of Reproductive Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia; and.
authors.forename: Deborah L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Dee
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia.
authors.forename: Samantha M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Harden
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D001942:Breast Feeding / Q000523:psychology / Q000639:trends*; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000639:trends*; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D039382:Maternal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology*; D057566:Self Report
keywords: benefits; breastfeeding; duration; exclusivity; human milk; maternal weight