High education and increased parity are associated with breast-feeding initiation and duration among Australian women.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Breast-feeding is associated with positive maternal and infant health and development outcomes. To assist identifying women less likely to meet infant nutritional guidelines, we investigated the role of socio-economic position and parity on initiation of and sustaining breast-feeding for at least 6 months.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Australia.

Subjects

Parous women from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health (born 1973-78), with self-reported reproductive and breast-feeding history (N 4777).

Results

While 89 % of women (83 % of infants) had ever breast-fed, only 60 % of infants were breast-fed for at least 6 months. Multiparous women were more likely to breast-feed their first child (~90 % v. ~71 % of primiparous wome

SUBMITTER: Holowko N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10270997 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature