Breastfeeding Initiation and Duration: Data from the 2008 Mississippi Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System

Background Despite the well-known benefits of breastfeeding, rates of breastfeeding in Mississippi are far lower than the US national average. Mississippi breastfeeding patterns need to be understood so that breastfeeding promotion efforts target those at greatest risk. Methods We analyzed weighted data from the 2008 Mississippi Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) (n=1447), a population-based survey conducted 2-4 months after delivery of a live birth. Chi-square tests were used to investigate the associations between maternal characteristics and both breastfeeding initiation and duration (at 10 weeks postpartum). SAS-callable SUDAAN was used to account for the complex survey design of PRAMS. Results Approximately 50% of women with a recent live birth initiated breastfeeding. By 10 weeks postpartum, 20% of women were doing any breastfeeding and only 10% were exclusively breastfeeding. The following subgroups had the highest prevalence of never breastfeeding: Women who were <20 years old (65.5%), Black (61.9%), had <12 years education (64.6%), had <$0,000 household income (64.3%), were on Medicaid during prenatal care (58.6%), were unmarried (61.9 %), and had an unintended pregnancy (57.8%). The percent of women who initiated breastfeeding was significantly lower among WIC participants (41% vs. 67%, p<.001). WIC participants were also less likely to be breastfeeding at 10 weeks postpartum (13% vs. 36%, p<.001). Conclusions Results suggest that there are disparities in breastfeeding initiation in Mississippi. Breastfeeding promotion efforts should be focused on mothers at greatest risk of not breastfeeding. The relationship between WIC and breastfeeding should be explored further.