Predictive factors of early cessation of breastfeeding: A prospective study in a university hospital

Abstract

Objective: To emphasize the factors involved in early cessation of breastfeeding among patients who have given birth in a high-tech maternity hospital, both during the stay on the maternity ward and before their infants reach the age of 4 months. Study design: Prospective study involving all patients who gave birth during the first 2 months of 2002 in the maternity department of Tours University Hospital, France. Exclusion criteria were preterm delivery before 35 weeks of pregnancy, twin birth and any condition in the newborns that required intensive or long-term hospitalization. The methodology suggested by the World Health Organization in the report “Indicators for Assessing Breastfeeding Practices” was strictly followed, and the breastfeeding status was assessed on the day of discharge from hospital and then in personal telephone conversations with each patient held 1, 2, 3, and 4 months after the date of delivery. The data were analyzed with the Chi-square test or Fisher’s Exact Test for the dichotomous variables, and the populations were compared for the continuous variables with the Student test. Results: We studied 115 breastfeeding patients (=57% of the patients who gave birth in the study period). At the time of discharge from hospital, 95% of the 115 were still breastfeeding; the corresponding proportions 1, 2, 3, and 4 months after the birth were 78, 66, 44, and 17%. For patients who were breastfeeding exclusively, the corresponding proportions were: 95, 69, 47, 17, and 6% at discharge from hospital and 1, 2, 3, and 4 months after the birth. We found differences between multiparous and primiparous women only in the timing of the first breastfeeding session and the use of formula supplement while on the maternity ward. There were no differences between the group whose babies were born by cesarean section and those who had vaginal deliveries. The only factor found to be linked with early cessation of breastfeeding during the hospital stay was the lack of previous experience in a multipara who decided to breastfeed for the first time (OR=35.33; 95% CI=2.4531<OR<508.925). Conclusion: Among the women discharged from the maternity ward with a healthy baby, for a multipara the lack of any previous experience of breastfeeding with earlier babies is the greatest risk factor in early definitive cessation of breastfeeding. Targeting such women would make it possible to provide more support for them when they start breastfeeding and thus hopefully to avoid early cessation.