title: How multiple episodes of exclusive breastfeeding impact estimates of exclusive breastfeeding duration: report from the eight-site MAL-ED birth cohort study.
abstract: The duration of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) is often defined as the time from birth to the first non-breast milk food/liquid fed (EBFLONG), or it is estimated by calculating the proportion of women at a given infant age who EBF in the previous 24 h (EBFDHS). Others have measured the total days or personal prevalence of EBF (EBFPREV), recognizing that although non-EBF days may occur, EBF can be re-initiated for extended periods. We compared breastfeeding metrics in the MAL-ED study; infants' breastfeeding trajectories were characterized from enrollment (median 7 days, IQR: 4, 12) to 180 days at eight sites. During twice-weekly surveillance, caretakers were queried about infant feeding the prior day. Overall, 101 833 visits and 356 764 child days of data were collected from 1957 infants. Median duration of EBFLONG was 33 days (95% CI: 32-36), compared to 49 days based on the EBFDHS. Median EBFPREV was 66 days (95% CI: 62-70). Differences were because of the return to EBF after a non-EBF period. The median number of returns to EBF was 2 (IQR: 1, 3). When mothers re-initiated EBF (second episode), infants gained an additional 18.8 days (SD: 25.1) of EBF, and gained 13.7 days (SD: 18.1) (third episode). In settings where women report short gaps in EBF, programmes should work with women to return to EBF. Interventions could positively influence the duration of these additional periods of EBF and their quantification should be considered in impact evaluation studies. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
authors: Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.|Center for Human Nutrition, Department of International Health, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors: Ramya
authors: R
authors: Ambikapathi
authors: Center for Human Nutrition, Department of International Health, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors: Margaret N
authors: MN
authors: Kosek
authors: Center for Human Nutrition, Department of International Health, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors: Gwenyth O
authors: GO
authors: Lee
authors: Department of Nutrition, School of Health Sciences, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, Limpopo Province, South Africa.
authors: Cloupas
authors: C
authors: Mahopo
authors: Department of Women, Children and Family Health Science, College of Nursing, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors: Crystal L
authors: CL
authors: Patil
authors: Department of Nutrition, State University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
authors: Bruna L
authors: BL
authors: Maciel
authors: Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors: Ali
authors: A
authors: Turab
authors: Centre for Nutrition and Food Security, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
authors: M Munirul
authors: MM
authors: Islam
authors: Department of Child Health and Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal.
authors: Manjeswori
authors: M
authors: Ulak
authors: Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
authors: Anuradha
authors: A
authors: Bose
authors: Biomedical Investigations Unit AB PRISMA, Iquitos, Peru.
authors: Maribel
authors: M
authors: Paredes Olortegui
authors: School Psychology Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors: Laura L
authors: LL
authors: Pendergast
authors: Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors: Laura E
authors: LE
authors: Murray-Kolb
authors: Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors: Dennis
authors: D
authors: Lang
authors: Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors: Benjamin J J
authors: BJ
authors: McCormick
authors: Center for Human Nutrition, Department of International Health, The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. lcaulfi1@jhu.edu.
authors: Laura E
authors: LE
authors: Caulfield
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001942:Breast Feeding; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Bangladesh; Brazil; DHS; India; MAL-ED; Nepal; Pakistan; Peru; South Africa; Tanzania; duration; exclusive breastfeeding; metrics; prevalence