Abstract

We followed prospectively some hospital-delivered mothers to identify characteristics of those not initiated breast-feeding and predictors of breast-feeding discontinuation in monthly telephone interviews. Recruits were composed of 482 mothers who delivered their babies at one university hospital and one OB/GYN clinic in september to November 1991. Breast-feeding discontinuation was defined as switch to 100% formula lasting more than one week regardless of solid foods. Average age of the study subjects was 27.3 years of age(standard deviation 3.2). Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated native place, occupation, method of delivery and method of feeding considered to be better for maternal health were statistically significant(p<0.1) between initiators and non-initiators of breast feeding. In starting cohort(N=242) of those initiated breast-feeding, that median of breast-feeding discontinuation were 5 months and 25th and 75th percentiles were 3 and 9 months respectively. I Cox's proportional hazard model, mothers with 10~13 years of education were 2.63 times (95% confidence interval, CI 1.50~4.60 ) more likely to discontinue than those with less than 9 years of education and those with more than 13 years of education were 3.55 time (95% CI 1.99~6.33). Compared with house wife, mothers with part-time jobs were 1.99 times (95% CI 0.86~4.57) more likely to discontinue and those with employed full-time were 1.55 times (95% CI 0.96~2.51). These results suggest that the predictors of initiation and discontinuation of breast-feeding may be different and different target populations should be selected to promote initiation and to prevent discontinuation of breast-feeding according to the period after birth.

• Keywords: Breast feeding discontinuationMethod of deliveryEducation