Health and Fitness

Breastfeeding Concerns Affect How Long Women Breastfeed


Elk Grove Village, IL—(ENEWSPF)—September 23, 2013. Breastfeeding concerns impact the duration of breastfeeding, according to a study in the October 2013 issue of Pediatrics, “Breastfeeding Concerns at 3 and 7 DaysPostpartum and Feeding Status at 2 Months” (published online Sept. 23).

The authors conducted 2,713 interviews with first-time mothers and found that breastfeeding concerns within the first 14 days postpartum are significantly linked to the duration of breastfeeding. Interviews were conducted during pregnancy, 24 hours after giving birth and again at 3, 7, 14, 30 and 60 days postpartum.

Breastfeeding concerns at any of these points were significantly associated with increased risk of stopping breastfeeding and starting to use formula. The most predominant concern was difficulty with infant feeding at the breast (52 percent), followed by breastfeeding pain (44 percent) and milk quantity concerns (40 percent).

The authors conclude that future efforts to increase breastfeeding duration should focus on protective factors (such as confidence in successful breastfeeding and adequate support) and resolving concerns as early as possible.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 60,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults. For more information, visit www.aap.org.

Source: www.aap.org

 


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