151155 Selected experiential predictors of breastfeeding initiation among WIC-eligible mothers at an urban private hospital in 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2005

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Dina B. Passman, MPH , School of Public Health and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC
Jennifer E. Marsh, JD, PhD, MSN , Center VI, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC
Jennifer A.F. Tender, MD, IBCLC , General Pediatrics, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, DC
Sarah S. Kin, BS , Department of Community Health, Holy Cross Hospital, Silver Spring, MD
Zacharia Cherian, MD , Department of Neonatology, Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC
Mudiwah A. Kadeshe, BSN, RNC, IBCLC , Department of Women's and Infants' Services, Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC
Marie Ann Draoui, MD , Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC
Context: We examined the initiation of breastfeeding in low-income African-American women giving birth at a private hospital in the District of Columbia in order to better understand the rates of breastfeeding immediately post-partum in this population. Several studies have found a relationship between breastfeeding and race, suggesting that African-American women are less likely than women of other races to initiate breastfeeding their newborns. However, such a conclusion requires a greater understanding of the specific processes linking African-American race and breastfeeding initiation, particularly birth experience. Method: We conducted descriptive and multiple regression analyses of data from 511 mostly African-American (n=441) mother-infant pairs to test the relationship between medical elements of birth experience (type of delivery, medication use, and time/day of delivery) and post-partum breastfeeding initiation in the hospital.

Results: We found no statistically significant associations between elements of birth experience and initiation of breastfeeding during the post-partum hospitalization.

Conclusions: We found no evidence that birth experience is associated with in-hospital breastfeeding initiation in African-American women. Our results suggest that interventions focusing on birth experience to increase breastfeeding initiation rates may therefore lack efficacy. As a result, policy makers should rethink current breastfeeding policy and continue to focus on social factors affecting breastfeeding initiation and longevity, in particular among low-income, urban African-American women.

Learning Objectives:
1. Identify seven factors of birth experience that are not related to breastfeeding initiation. 2. Recognize that failure rates of breastfeeding initiation in the hospital among various groups of low-income, urban women of color. 3. Describe possible strategies for increasing breastfeeding initiation and longevity in low-income, urban African-American women.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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