Catherine R Chamberlain1,2, Alyce N Wilson1, Lisa H Amir3, Kerin O'Dea4, Sandra Campbell5,6, Dympna Leonard6, Rebecca Ritte1, Mary Mulcahy7, Sandra Eades2, Rory Wolfe8. 1. Indigenous Health Equity Unit, School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Victoria. 2. Aboriginal Health Domain, Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Victoria. 3. Judith Lumley Centre, La Trobe University, Victoria. 4. Centre for Population Health Research, School of Health Sciences, University of South Australia. 5. Apunipima Cape York Health Council, Queensland. 6. Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention, Cairns Institute, James Cook University, Queensland. 7. Maternity Unit, Cairns Hospital, Queensland. 8. Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Victoria.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To investigate rates of 'any' and 'predominant' breastfeeding in hospital among Indigenous and non-Indigenous women with and without gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). METHODS: A retrospective study of singleton infants born from July 2007 to December 2010 at Cairns Hospital, Australia, following GDM pregnancy, using linked hospital and birth data (n=617 infants), with a subsample of medical record reviews (n=365 infants). Aggregate data were used to compare to breastfeeding rates among infants born following non-GDM pregnancy (n=7,894 infants). RESULTS: More than 90% of all women reported any breastfeeding before hospital discharge. About 80% of women without GDM reported predominant breastfeeding. Despite significant increases over time (p<0.0001), women with GDM were less likely to predominantly breastfeed (OR 0.32, 95%CI 0.27-0.38, p<0.0001); with lower rates among Indigenous women (53%) compared with non-Indigenous (60%) women (OR 0.78, 0.70-0.88, p<0.0001); and women having a caesarean birth or pre-term infant. CONCLUSIONS: Rates of predominant in-hospital breastfeeding were lower among women with GDM, particularly among Indigenous women and women having a caesarean or pre-term birth. IMPLICATIONS: Strategies are needed to support predominant in-hospital breastfeeding among women with GDM.
OBJECTIVES: To investigate rates of 'any' and 'predominant' breastfeeding in hospital among Indigenous and non-Indigenous women with and without gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). METHODS: A retrospective study of singleton infants born from July 2007 to December 2010 at Cairns Hospital, Australia, following GDM pregnancy, using linked hospital and birth data (n=617 infants), with a subsample of medical record reviews (n=365 infants). Aggregate data were used to compare to breastfeeding rates among infants born following non-GDM pregnancy (n=7,894 infants). RESULTS: More than 90% of all women reported any breastfeeding before hospital discharge. About 80% of women without GDM reported predominant breastfeeding. Despite significant increases over time (p<0.0001), women with GDM were less likely to predominantly breastfeed (OR 0.32, 95%CI 0.27-0.38, p<0.0001); with lower rates among Indigenous women (53%) compared with non-Indigenous (60%) women (OR 0.78, 0.70-0.88, p<0.0001); and women having a caesarean birth or pre-term infant. CONCLUSIONS: Rates of predominant in-hospital breastfeeding were lower among women with GDM, particularly among Indigenous women and women having a caesarean or pre-term birth. IMPLICATIONS: Strategies are needed to support predominant in-hospital breastfeeding among women with GDM.