Breastfeeding Practices in Patients with Heart Disease Stratified by Area Deprivation Index.

Objective: We sought to evaluate breastfeeding (BF) practices in patients with maternal cardiac disease (MCD) stratified by area deprivation index (ADI) to identity communities at risk. Study Design: Retrospective cohort of patients managed by the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Cardio-Obstetrics Program. Patients were included if they had ≥1 prenatal visit with the Cardio-Obstetrics team, delivered at UAB, and had a street address on file. The primary outcome was BF rate at hospital discharge. Secondary outcomes included BF intent on admission and BF at the postpartum (PP) visit. ADI reports socioeconomic disadvantage at the census tract level; 1 = least deprived and 100 = most deprived. Baseline characteristics and BF rates were compared by ADI categories: Low (ADI 1-33), medium (ADI 34-66), and high (ADI 67-100). Results: One hundred and forty-eight patients were included: 14 (10%) low, 42 (28%) medium, and 92 (62%) high ADI. Patients in the high ADI category were younger relative to those in the medium or low ADI (26 versus 28 versus 32 years; p < 0.01) and less likely to be married or living with a partner (30.4% versus 58.5% versus 71.4%; p < 0.01), There was no difference in BF intent between the lowest, medium, and highest ADI categories (85.7% versus 85.4% versus 81.6%; p = 0.38) or BF rates at hospital discharge (100% versus 92.7% versus 85.6%, p = 0.23). However, there was a significant difference in BF rates at the PP visit (90% versus 63.0% versus 38.6%; p < 0.01) even after controlling for differences in baseline characteristics (odds ratio = 0.11 (95% confidence interval [0.01-0.93]), p = 0.043). Conclusions: There was an association between living in a resource-poor community and early cessation of BF in our population of patients with MCD. Community-based interventions targeting mothers with heart disease living in high ADI communities may help these individuals achieve higher BF rates.

Racial Disparities in Breastfeeding Rates in Patients with Heart Disease.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate racial disparities in breastfeeding rates in patients with heart disease. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort of pregnant patients with maternal cardiac disease managed by a Cardio-Obstetrics program. Patients self-identifying as Non-Hispanic Black (NHB) and Non-Hispanic White (NHW), who attended ≥ 1 prenatal visit at the Cardio-Obstetrics Program and delivered at the same hospital between March 2015 and June 2019 were included. The primary outcome was breastfeeding rate at discharge from the delivery-associated hospitalization. Secondary outcomes included breastfeeding intent on admission and breastfeeding rates at the postpartum visit among patients who initiated breastfeeding. RESULTS: 138 pregnant patients with cardiac disease were included: 58 (42%) NHB and 80 (58%) NHW patients. Parity, marital status and insurance were statistically different between groups. NHB patients were more likely to have government insurance compared to NHW patients (77.6% vs. 40%; p < 0.001). There was a significant difference in the intent to breastfeed upon admission for the delivery-associated hospitalization (74.2% NHB vs. NHW 91.3%; p = 0.01), but not at hospital discharge (84.5% NHB vs. 93.8% NHW; p = 0.08). However, breastfeeding rates were significantly lower among NHB patients at the postpartum visit among the entire cohort (38.2% in NHB vs. 61.1% in NHW women; p = 0.036) and among those who initiated breastfeeding (35.3% NHB vs. 61.1% NHW, p = 0.018). CONCLUSIONS: Despite similar breastfeeding rates at hospital discharge, NHB patients with maternal cardiac disease were less likely to intend to breastfeed at admission and/or continue breastfeeding by the postpartum visits. Qualitative studies understanding these differences are crucial to improve breastfeeding rates, especially for NHB patients with maternal cardiac disease.

Breastfeeding practices among patients managed by a comprehensive cardio-obstetrics program.

Objective: To evaluate breastfeeding intent, rates at discharge, and continued breastfeeding at follow-up in patients managed in a comprehensive cardio-obstetrics program stratified by severity of maternal cardiac disease.Study Design: Retrospective cohort of patients managed by a comprehensive cardio-obstetrics program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Patients were included if they had ≥1 prenatal visit with the Cardio-Obstetrics team and delivered at UAB. The primary outcome was the breastfeeding rate on discharge from the delivery-associated hospitalization. Secondary outcomes included intent to breastfeed on admission and breastfeeding at the postpartum visit. Baseline characteristics and rates were compared between patients with less severe (mWHO I - II/III) vs. more severe (mWHO III - IV) maternal cardiac disease.Results: 147 patients were included: 85 (57.8%) mWHO class I - II and 62 (42.2%) mWHO class III-IV. Patients with more severe maternal cardiac disease had higher rates of chronic hypertension (22.6% vs. 9.4%; p = 0.027), lower gestational age at delivery (36.4 vs 37.7 weeks; p = 0.008), and higher rates of NICU admission (31.2% vs. 14.1%; p = 0.013). There were no significant differences between mWHO class I-II vs. mWHO class III-IV in intent to breastfeed upon admission to the delivery-associated hospitalization (84.7% vs. 82.3%; p = 0.67), breastfeeding rates upon discharge from the delivery-associated hospitalization (90.6% vs. 87.1%; p = 0.50), or breastfeeding rates at the postpartum visit (54.1% vs. 48.5%; p = 0.60).Conclusions: Despite potential barriers in this high-risk population, over 85% of patients breastfed upon discharge from the delivery-associated hospitalization. However, breastfeeding rates dropped by 40% at the postpartum visit. Strategies to support breastfeeding in the post-partum period in patients with maternal cardiac disease are imperative.