ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To identify determinants of the initiation and duration of breastfeeding amongst Australian women. METHODS: A prospective cohort study of 556 women in Perth, Western Australia and 503 women from the Darling Downs area, Queensland, Australia. RESULTS: Breastfeeding at discharge was most strongly associated with perceived paternal support of breastfeeding with an adjusted odds ratio of 9.13 (95% CI 4.83-17.26), using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Duration of breastfeeding was most strongly associated with the length of time a mother intended to breastfeed with an adjusted relative risk of 4.18 (95% CI 2.81-6.22) for > or = 4 months relative to < 4 months. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions which aim to increase the length of time a woman intends to breastfeed, and which highlight the role of the father in successful breastfeeding, are recommended to help achieve recommended targets for breastfeeding initiation and duration.
Subject(s)
Breast Feeding/statistics & numerical data , Maternal Behavior , Patient Discharge , Attitude to Health , Australia/epidemiology , Catchment Area, Health , Cohort Studies , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Prospective Studies , Rural Health , Surveys and Questionnaires , Time Factors , Urban HealthABSTRACT
A prospective study of 556 women from Perth, Western Australia, and 503 women from the Darling Downs area, Queensland, Australia, was conducted to identify factors associated with the abandonment of breastfeeding prior to hospital discharge. In total, 88% of women initiated breastfeeding, but 5% discontinued breastfeeding while still in the hospital. Discontinuation of breastfeeding prior to discharge was associated with a number of psychosocial factors, namely, infant feeding method being chosen after becoming pregnant, a perception by the mother that the infant's father either preferred formula feeding or was ambivalent about how the infant was fed, and whether the mother's own mother had ever breastfed. Judicious questioning prenatally regarding a women's commitment to, social support for, and prior exposure to breastfeeding will help identify those women most at risk of abandoning breastfeeding prematurely. Such women should be targeted for additional support while in the hospital.
Subject(s)
Bottle Feeding/psychology , Breast Feeding/psychology , Infant Care/methods , Mothers/psychology , Adult , Breast Feeding/statistics & numerical data , Educational Status , Female , Hospitals , Humans , Infant, Newborn , Male , Maternal Behavior , Patient Discharge , Prospective Studies , Queensland , Social Support , Western AustraliaABSTRACT
This paper addresses the questions of whether early nutritional experience affects later somatic growth, the growth of the adipose tissue, or the levels of serum lipids among well-nourished children. The analyses are based on data from three prospective studies. Postnatal nutrition and growth: there were differences in growth between breast-fed and formula-fed children. There was no association between linear growth and differences in food energy or macronutrient intake. Birth size and postnatal growth: there was no association between ponderal index (PI) at birth and body mass index (BMI) in the second year. For boys, the PI at 3 and 6 months of age was significantly positively correlated with BMI at the ages of 8 and 15 years, but not for girls. Childhood growth and lipids: there was no association between lipids at the age of 8 years and either birth weight or length, but children who had had a low PI at birth had higher lipid levels at the age 8 years. A positive association was found between serum lipids and abdominal fat and BMI. We conclude that, although early diet may influence growth rate beyond infancy, the evidence for fat patterning resulting from differences in fetal or early postnatal nutrition is still open to question.