ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The impact of maternity ward practices on breastfeeding duration remains uncertain in France. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine whether compliance with an increasing number of Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative recommended practices was associated with a decreasing risk for breastfeeding cessation within 6 months of delivery. METHODS: We analyzed the original data from a prospective cohort study carried out in eight maternity centers in France in 2005-2006. A pediatrician or a midwife prospectively collected data on breastfeeding initiation within 1h of birth, rooming-in 24h a day, pacifier non-use, and giving breast milk only for 908 mothers who were breastfeeding at discharge. RESULTS: Overall, 315 (34.7%), 309 (34.0%), 186 (20.5%), and 98 (10.8%) mothers experienced 4, 3, 2, or 0-1 maternity ward practices. The median breastfeeding duration was 18 weeks (25th-75th percentiles, 9 to >26), with 87.6% and 31.5% of mothers who were still breastfeeding by 4 and 26 weeks after delivery, respectively. After adjusting for study center and baseline characteristics, the hazard ratios of breastfeeding cessation associated with 3, 2, and 0-1 practices were 1.32 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.06-1.64), 1.54 (95% CI, 1.20-1.98), and 1.59 (95% CI, 1.13-2.25) as compared with compliance with four practices (p for trend <0.001). CONCLUSION: Although the causal interpretation for this relationship remains speculative, these findings support interventions aimed to implement or reinforce Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative recommended practices in order to establish prolonged breastfeeding and decrease the risk for early cessation after discharge to home.
Subject(s)
Breast Feeding , Health Promotion , Hospitals, Maternity , Mother-Child Relations , Postnatal Care , Adult , Delivery, Obstetric , Female , France , Guideline Adherence , Health Promotion/methods , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Nurse-Patient Relations , Patient Education as Topic , Physician-Patient Relations , Postnatal Care/methods , Practice Guidelines as Topic , Pregnancy , Prospective Studies , Risk Factors , Time FactorsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The Breastfeeding Assessment Score (BAS) was derived to help identify mothers at increased risk of early weaning in United States. Data are currently lacking on the accuracy of the BAS for French mother-infant pairs. OBJECTIVE: To assess the accuracy of the BAS in a French validation cohort. METHODS: We used the original data from a prospective cohort study of 488 mothers who were breastfeeding at discharge in 9 maternity wards in 2005. The outcome measures were assessed using structured follow-up telephone interviews at 4 and 26 weeks. RESULTS: The weaning rate was 3% at 14 days of infant age. The corresponding area under ROC curve was 0.73 [0.60-0.85] and was comparable to that observed in the derivation cohort (0.75). For a cut point of 8 recommended by the authors of the BAS, 43% of mother-infant pairs were categorized at high risk and the weaning rate in this subgroup was 5%. The mother-infant pairs with a score lower than 8 had a shorter median breastfeeding duration (18 versus 20 weeks, P=0.02), were more likely to report breastfeeding difficulties after discharge (63% versus 53%, P=0.03), and were less likely to be "very satisfied" with breastfeeding experience (66% versus 77%, P=0.007). CONCLUSION: The intrinsic properties of the BAS are robust. However, its use would be of limited interest in France because of the relatively low rate of early weaning. Randomized trials are needed before recommending routine use of BAS-based breastfeeding support intervention.