Practices supporting breastfeeding help moms achieve goals

For low-income women, experiencing maternity care practices supportive of breastfeeding is associated with an increased likelihood of meeting prenatal breastfeeding intentions, according to a study published online March 7 in Pediatrics.

Jennifer L. Beauregard, Ph.D., M.P.H., from the National Center for Chronic Disease and Health Promotion in Rockville, Maryland, and colleagues used data from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Infant and Toddler Feeding Practices Study-2 involving 1,080 women who intended to breastfeed to estimate the risk ratios for associations between six maternity care practices supportive of breastfeeding and whether women met their intention to feed only breast milk at 1 month.

The researchers found that the likelihood of meeting prenatal breastfeeding intentions was increased in association with breastfeeding within one hour of birth, giving only breast milk, and no pacifiers. After adjustment for all other practices, associations with meeting breastfeeding intention remained for initiating breastfeeding within one hour of birth and giving only breastmilk (risk ratios [95% confidence intervals], 1.3 [1.0 to 1.6] and 4.4 [3.4 to 5.7], respectively). A dose-response relationship was seen between the number of steps experienced and an increased likelihood of meeting prenatal breastfeeding intentions.

"Improving implementation of and access to evidence-based maternity care practices could help to improve women's ability to meet their breastfeeding intentions, improving breastfeeding outcomes among this low-income population," the authors write.

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