Abstract
Objective: The objective of the study was to determine the correlation between breastfeeding practices and intimate partner violence (IPV). Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed in Google Scholar, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and PubMed, focusing on articles published in English from 2000 to 2023. The review included original cohort and cross-sectional studies that assessed the impact of IPV (sexual, emotional, and/or physical) on breastfeeding practices. The quality of the included articles was evaluated using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Results: The review incorporated 22 original articles (16 cohort and 6 cross-sectional) from various countries. Different forms of IPV, including physical, emotional, and sexual violence, were examined. Out of these studies, 19 reported a negative impact of IPV on breastfeeding practices, including delayed breastfeeding initiation, early cessation, lower intention to exclusively breastfeed, and shorter breastfeeding duration among mothers who experienced IPV. The quality assessment revealed that only two of the six cross-sectional studies were of fair quality, while the rest were good to fair. For cohort studies, only five were satisfactory, with overall quality ranging from fair to poor. Most studies indicated that IPV, at any stage and in any form, was associated with unfavorable breastfeeding outcomes. This was particularly evident in low- and middle-income countries such as Kenya, Zimbabwe,Nepal, India, Nigeria, and Bangladesh. Determinants like maternal education, age, delivery mode, and employment also influenced breastfeeding initiation. Conclusion: The review concluded that IPV exposure is significantly related to poor breastfeeding practices. It highlighted the need for individual study meta-analyses to quantify the correlation between IPV and breastfeeding practices. Additionally, it called for more high-quality longitudinal studies that control for potential confounders to better understand this relationship. Keywords: Breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding, domesticviolence, intimate partner violence, spousal abuse
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