ABSTRACT
Objective:To systematically review the association between delivery mode and exclusive breastfeeding rate during hospitalization and within the first six months of life.Methods:Observational studies on the association between delivery mode and feeding pattern were searched from PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, EBSCO, China Biomedical Literature Database, CNKI, Wanfang Database, and VIP Database from inception to October 2022. Two independent reviewers screened the literature, extracted data, and assessed the quality of included studies using Critical Appraisal Tools published by Joanna Briggs Institute or Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Scale (NOS). This meta-analysis was performed using R 4.1.0 software. Fixed-effect or random-effect models were used to pool data. Egger test and funnel plot were used to assess publication bias.Results:A total of 34 studies involving 597 203 subjects were included, including 22 cross-sectional studies and 12 cohort studies. All of the 22 cross-sectional studies were B-level quality, and eleven out of the 12 included cohort studies scored 7 points or above on the NOS scale with high quality. The results of meta-analysis showed that the likelihood of exclusive breastfeeding during hospitalization of women who had cesarean section was lower than those who delivered vaginally ( OR=0.33, 95% CI: 0.22-0.50, P<0.001); and so was the likelihood of exclusive breastfeeding at six months postpartum ( OR=0.61, 95% CI: 0.47-0.79, P<0.001). Conclusion:Current evidence suggests that cesarean section is a disadvantage to exclusive breastfeeding during hospitalization and within six months after delivery.