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Maternal Hospital Experiences and Exclusive Breastfeeding in the First Six Months among WIC Participants
Author(s) -
Koleilat Maria,
Whaley Shan,
Jiang Lu
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.26.1_supplement.368.4
Subject(s) - breastfeeding , medicine , family medicine , logistic regression , breast feeding , breastfeeding promotion , nursing , pediatrics , environmental health , demography , sociology
The purpose of this study was to identify how maternal hospital experiences impact breastfeeding exclusivity of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) participants. A sample of 2015 primarily Hispanic postpartum women, regularly attending WIC clinics in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, were recruited to participate in a telephone survey about their breastfeeding practices. Multiple logistic regression was used to explore predictors of exclusive breastfeeding. After adjusting for well‐recognized confounding factors, results indicated that women who breastfed in the hospital within the first hour after birth, did not formula feed their baby at the hospital, did not receive formula from hospital to take home, and received a telephone number to call if they had questions or needed help with breastfeeding, were more likely to exclusively breastfeed during the first six months after delivery. Not being US born, not working for pay outside the home, intending to breastfeed and previous breastfeeding experience also were predictive of exclusive breastfeeding. These results highlight the importance of hospital practices, as well as intention and experience, on the decision to exclusively breastfeed, and indicate the need for implementing breastfeeding‐friendly practices in hospitals following birth to improve the establishment of exclusive breastfeeding. Funding for this research was provided by the US Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service through a grant for WIC administered by the California Department of Public Health.