Factors influencing infant feeding method during the maternity hospital stay: How intention, maternal characteristics, and early skin-to-skin mother/infant contact correlate

Factors influencing infant feeding method during the maternity hospital stay: How intention, maternal characteristics and early skin-to-skin mother/infant contact correlate.

Abstract

The purpose of this prospective cohort study (n = 21,658) was to assess the association of a mother's initial infant feeding method intention at time of her maternity hospitalization admission, maternal characteristics, and early skin-to-skin maternal/infant contact during the first 3 hours following birth with the likelihood of exclusive breastfeeding during the remainder of the maternity hospital stay. Participants were mother/infant dyads from 19 hospitals throughout San Bernardino and Riverside counties in California from July 2005 through June 2006. Statistical analysis included univariate and multivariate logistic regression. The likelihood of exclusive breastfeeding improved as the length of time in early skin-to-skin mother/infant contact increased in both mothers who had intended to breastfeed (OR 27.597; 95% CI 23.655-32.197) and in mothers who were undecided regarding their intention to breastfeed.(OR 11.291; 95% CI 7.961-16.013). The increased likelihood of exclusive breastfeeding among both mothers who were initially undecided regarding their infant intention and mothers who were intending to mix-feed their infants was unexpected. These findings confirm the need to prioritize early skin-to-skin mother/infant contact during the immediate postpartum period to increase breastfeeding initiation to all mothers regardless of their infant feeding intention.