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The Copenhagen cohort study on infant nutrition and growth: duration of breast feeding and influencing factors
Author(s) -
Michaelsen Kim Fleischer,
Larsen Pia Sauer,
Thomsen Birthe Lykke,
Samuelson Gösta
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1994.tb13082.x
Subject(s) - medicine , breast feeding , cohort , cohort study , duration (music) , environmental health , pediatrics , infant nutrition , infant feeding , demography , population , research methodology , art , literature , sociology
Michaelsen KF, Larsen PS, Thomsen BL, Samuelson G. The Copenhagen cohort study on infant nutrition and growth: duration of breast feeding and influencing factors. Acta Pædiatr 1994;83:565–71. Stockholm. ISSN 0803–5253 Duration of breast feeding was studied in 249 randomly chosen, healthy, term infants of Danish origin of which 80.7% participated. Breast feeding was initiated by 99.5% of the mothers. At 3, 6 and 9 months, 71%, 52% and 33%, respectively, were still breast feeding. Only 1 infant (0.5%) was exclusively breast fed beyond 7 months of age. In a Cox multiple regression analysis of factors influencing duration of breast feeding, we found a positive association with maternal education ( p < 0.001) and age ( p = 0.02) and a negative association with the amount of formula given at the maternity ward ( p < 0.001). Six months after delivery, 79% of the mothers with higher school education ( 12 years) were still breast feeding, compared to 29% with a low school education ( 9 years). There is still a need for an increased effort to support mothers in breast feeding, focusing particularly on younger mothers with short school education. Formula supplements during the first days of life, given to 73% of the infants, were associated with a shorter duration of breast feeding and should be discouraged.