Abstract
BackgroundObesity is a worldwide public health problem that demands significant attention. Several studies have found that maternal obesity has a negative effect on the duration of breastfeeding and delayed lactogenesis. The World Health Organization has classified Body Max Index (BMI) as normal weight (normoweight) (BMI:18.5–24.9), overweight (BMI:25–29.9), obesity grade I (30.0–34.9), obesity grade II (BMI: 35.0–39.9) and obesity grade III (BMI ≥ 40.0). The objective of this study is to describe the relationship between maternal BMI and breastfeeding rates, as well as breastfeeding-associated problems and discomfort in women assisted by the Spanish Health System.MethodsTo this end, a cross-sectional observational study aimed at women who have been mothers between 2013 and 2018 in Spain was developed. The data was collected through an online survey of 54 items that was distributed through lactation associations and postpartum support groups between March and June 2019. Five thousand eight hundred seventy one women answered the survey. In the data analysis, Crude Odds Ratios (OR) and Adjusted Odds Ratios (AOR) were calculated through a multivariate analysis through binary and multinomial regression.ResultsA linear relationship was observed between the highest BMI figures and the reduction of the probability of starting skin-to-skin contact (AOR for obesity type III of 0.51 [95% CI 0.32, 0.83]), breastfeeding in the first hour (AOR for obesity type III of 0.58 [95% CI 0.36, 0.94]), and exclusive breastfeeding to hospital discharge (AOR for obesity type III of 0.57 [95% CI 0.35, 0.94]), as compared to women with normoweight.ConclusionsWomen with higher BMI are less likely to develop successful breastfeeding than women with normoweight.
Highlights
Obesity is a worldwide public health problem that demands significant attention
The dependent variables were: complications during lactation, and complications or discomfort associated with breastfeeding during hospitalisation and at home
The Crude Odds Ratios (OR) and Adjusted Odds Ratios (AOR) were calculated with their respective 95% confidence intervals to determine the relationship between Body Max Index (BMI) and complications during breastfeeding and complications or discomfort both during hospitalisation and at home
Summary
Obesity is a worldwide public health problem that demands significant attention. Several studies have found that maternal obesity has a negative effect on the duration of breastfeeding and delayed lactogenesis. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified BMI as normoweight (18.5–24.9), overweight (25–29.9), Obesity is a worldwide public health problem that demands significant attention [4]. The relationship between BMI and exclusive maternal breastfeeding (EMB) has been identified as less common [7], and shorter [8] in women with a higher BMI This association is not a novelty given that a study carried out in 1992 by Rutishauser and Carlin reported a 50% risk of early breastfeeding discontinuation among mothers with BMI > 26 kg/ m2 [4]. Due to the relevance of global obesity and overweight prevalence, numerous studies have focused on this issue and showed that maternal obesity has a negative effect on the duration of breastfeeding [9,10,11], as well as delayed lactogenesis [9, 12]
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