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Article

Breastfeeding Difficulties and Risk for Early Breastfeeding Cessation

1
Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, NICU, via Commenda 12, 20122 Milan, Italy
2
Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Via San Barnaba 8, 20122 Milan, Italy
3
Department of Pediatrics, Maastricht University Medical Center (MUMC+), School for Oncology and Developmental Biology (GROW), 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands
4
Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy
5
Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, 20122 Milan, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Nutrients 2019, 11(10), 2266; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11102266
Received: 25 August 2019 / Revised: 12 September 2019 / Accepted: 17 September 2019 / Published: 20 September 2019
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Milk and Lactation)
Although breast milk is the normative feeding for infants, breastfeeding rates are lower than recommended. We investigated breastfeeding difficulties experienced by mothers in the first months after delivery and their association with early breastfeeding discontinuation. We conducted a prospective observational study. Mothers breastfeeding singleton healthy term newborns at hospital discharge were enrolled and, at three months post-delivery, were administered a questionnaire on their breastfeeding experience. Association among neonatal/maternal characteristics, breastfeeding difficulties and support after hospital discharge, and type of feeding at three months was assessed using multivariate binary logistic regression analysis. We enrolled 792 mothers, 552 completed the study. Around 70.3% of mothers experienced breastfeeding difficulties, reporting cracked nipples, perception of insufficient amount of milk, pain, and fatigue. Difficulties occurred mostly within the first month. Half of mothers with breastfeeding issues felt well-supported by health professionals. Maternal perception of not having a sufficient amount of milk, infant’s failure to thrive, mastitis, and the return to work were associated with a higher risk of non-exclusive breastfeeding at three months whereas vaginal delivery and breastfeeding support after hospital discharge were associated with a decreased risk. These results underline the importance of continued, tailored professional breastfeeding support. View Full-Text
Keywords: breastfeeding difficulties; early breastfeeding cessation; term infants; breastfeeding support breastfeeding difficulties; early breastfeeding cessation; term infants; breastfeeding support
MDPI and ACS Style

Gianni, M.L.; Bettinelli, M.E.; Manfra, P.; Sorrentino, G.; Bezze, E.; Plevani, L.; Cavallaro, G.; Raffaeli, G.; Crippa, B.L.; Colombo, L.; Morniroli, D.; Liotto, N.; Roggero, P.; Villamor, E.; Marchisio, P.; Mosca, F. Breastfeeding Difficulties and Risk for Early Breastfeeding Cessation. Nutrients 2019, 11, 2266. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11102266

AMA Style

Gianni ML, Bettinelli ME, Manfra P, Sorrentino G, Bezze E, Plevani L, Cavallaro G, Raffaeli G, Crippa BL, Colombo L, Morniroli D, Liotto N, Roggero P, Villamor E, Marchisio P, Mosca F. Breastfeeding Difficulties and Risk for Early Breastfeeding Cessation. Nutrients. 2019; 11(10):2266. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11102266

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gianni, Maria L., Maria E. Bettinelli, Priscilla Manfra, Gabriele Sorrentino, Elena Bezze, Laura Plevani, Giacomo Cavallaro, Genny Raffaeli, Beatrice L. Crippa, Lorenzo Colombo, Daniela Morniroli, Nadia Liotto, Paola Roggero, Eduardo Villamor, Paola Marchisio, and Fabio Mosca. 2019. "Breastfeeding Difficulties and Risk for Early Breastfeeding Cessation" Nutrients 11, no. 10: 2266. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11102266

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