Early cessation of breastfeeding amongst women in South Africa: an area needing urgent attention to improve child health

BMC Pediatrics

Research Article

Thorkild Tylleskär¹  Lars T Fadnes¹  Ingunn MS Engebretsen²  Eva-Charlotte Ekström³  Mark Colvin⁴  Ameena Goga⁵  Sonja Swanevelder⁵  Carl Lombard⁵  Wanga Zembe⁵  Tanya Doherty⁶  Mickey Chopra⁷  Debra Jackson⁸  David Sanders⁸ 

[1] Centre for International Health, University of Bergen, Årstadveien 21 5th floor, N-5009, Bergen, Norway;Centre for International Health, University of Bergen, Årstadveien 21 5th floor, N-5009, Bergen, Norway;Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway;Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, Drottninggatan 4, 4th level, Uppsala, Sweden;Maromi Health Research, 27 Cohen Avenue, 4083, Glenwood, Durban, South Africa;Medical Research Council, Francie van Zyl Drive, Parow, Cape Town, South Africa;Medical Research Council, Francie van Zyl Drive, Parow, Cape Town, South Africa;University of the Western Cape, Modderdam Road, Bellville, Cape Town, South Africa;UNICEF, UNICEF House, 3 United Nations Plaza, 10017, New York, NY, USA;University of the Western Cape, Modderdam Road, Bellville, Cape Town, South Africa;

关键词: Mastitis;    Exclusive Breastfeed;    Infant Feeding;    Positive Woman;    Formula Milk;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1471-2431-12-105

 received in 2011-09-21, accepted in 2012-06-19,  发布年份 2012

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundBreastfeeding is a critical component of interventions to reduce child mortality. Exclusive breastfeeding practice is extremely low in South Africa and there has been no improvement in this over the past ten years largely due to fears of HIV transmission. Early cessation of breastfeeding has been found to have negative effects on child morbidity and survival in several studies in Africa. This paper reports on determinants of early breastfeeding cessation among women in South Africa.MethodsThis is a sub group analysis of a community-based cluster-randomized trial (PROMISE EBF) promoting exclusive breastfeeding in three South African sites (Paarl in the Western Cape Province, and Umlazi and Rietvlei in KwaZulu-Natal) between 2006 and 2008 (ClinicalTrials.gov no: NCT00397150). Infant feeding recall of 22 food and fluid items was collected at 3, 6, 12 and 24 weeks postpartum. Women’s experiences of breast health problems were also collected at the same time points. 999 women who ever breastfed were included in the analysis. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis adjusting for site, arm and cluster, was performed to determine predictors of stopping breastfeeding by 12 weeks postpartum.ResultsBy 12 weeks postpartum, 20% of HIV-negative women and 40% of HIV-positive women had stopped all breastfeeding. About a third of women introduced other fluids, most commonly formula milk, within the first 3 days after birth. Antenatal intention not to breastfeed and being undecided about how to feed were most strongly associated with stopping breastfeeding by 12 weeks (Adjusted odds ratio, AOR 5.6, 95% CI 3.4 – 9.5 and AOR 4.1, 95% CI 1.6 – 10.8, respectively). Also important was self-reported breast health problems associated with a 3-fold risk of stopping breastfeeding (AOR 3.1, 95%CI 1.7 – 5.7) and the mother having her own income doubled the risk of stopping breastfeeding (AOR 1.9, 95% CI 1.3 – 2.8).ConclusionEarly cessation of breastfeeding is common amongst both HIV-negative and positive women in South Africa. There is an urgent need to improve antenatal breastfeeding counselling taking into account the challenges faced by working women as well as early postnatal lactation support to prevent breast health problems.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Doherty et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2012