Sandra Wagner1, Claire Kersuzan2, Séverine Gojard3, Christine Tichit4, Sophie Nicklaus5, Xavier Thierry6, Marie Aline Charles7, Sandrine Lioret8, Blandine de Lauzon-Guillain9. 1. NSERM, UMR1153 Epidemiology and Biostatistics Sorbonne Paris Cité Center (CRESS), Early life research on later health Team (EAROH), F-75000 Paris, France; Paris Descartes University, F-75000 Paris, France. Electronic address: sandra.wagner@inserm.fr. 2. Centre de Droit Comparé du Travail et de la Sécurité Sociale, COMPTRASEC, Université de Bordeaux, UMR 5114 CNRS, F-33608 Pessac, France. Electronic address: clairekersuzan@yahoo.fr. 3. Centre Maurice Halbwachs, INRA, CNRS, ENS, EHESS, F-75014 Paris, France. Electronic address: severine.gojard@inra.fr. 4. Centre Maurice Halbwachs, INRA, CNRS, ENS, EHESS, F-75014 Paris, France. Electronic address: christine.tichit@inra.fr. 5. Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, AgroSup Dijon, CNRS, INRA, Université de Bourgogne Franche-Comté, F-21000 Dijon, France. Electronic address: sophie.nicklaus@inra.fr. 6. Institut national d'études démographiques, F-75000 Paris, France. Electronic address: thierry@ined.fr. 7. NSERM, UMR1153 Epidemiology and Biostatistics Sorbonne Paris Cité Center (CRESS), Early life research on later health Team (EAROH), F-75000 Paris, France; Paris Descartes University, F-75000 Paris, France. Electronic address: marie-aline.charles@inserm.fr. 8. NSERM, UMR1153 Epidemiology and Biostatistics Sorbonne Paris Cité Center (CRESS), Early life research on later health Team (EAROH), F-75000 Paris, France; Paris Descartes University, F-75000 Paris, France. Electronic address: sandrine.lioret@inserm.fr. 9. NSERM, UMR1153 Epidemiology and Biostatistics Sorbonne Paris Cité Center (CRESS), Early life research on later health Team (EAROH), F-75000 Paris, France; Paris Descartes University, F-75000 Paris, France; INRA, U1125 Epidemiology and Biostatistics Sorbonne Paris Cité Center (CRESS), Early life research on later health Team (EAROH), Paris, France. Electronic address: blandine.delauzon@inserm.fr.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To assess the role of the mother's mother and mothers' previous personal experiences with breastfeeding and childcare in breastfeeding practices. DESIGN AND SETTING: The analysis included 13,774 mother-infant dyads from the French national birth cohort ELFE. Feeding practices were assessed by face-to-face interview in maternity wards in 2011, by phone interviews at months 2 and 12 post-partum and by Internet/paper questionnaires monthly from months 3-10. Sociodemographic, maternal and newborn-related factors were collected in the maternity unit and by postnatal phone interview at month 2. Multivariable logistic and linear regression was used to assess the association of mother's mother and mothers' previous personal experiences with breastfeeding initiation and duration. FINDINGS: Previous breastfeeding experience (i.e., whether mothers had breastfed their previous children) was positively associated with both breastfeeding initiation and duration. Mothers who had been breastfed themselves as infants were more likely to initiate and continue breastfeeding than non-breastfed mothers. Conversely, non-breastfed mothers who had received care advice from their own mother were less likely to start and maintain breastfeeding. The effect of having been breastfed in infancy was especially important for primiparous mothers and to a lesser extent, multiparous mothers with no previous breastfeeding experience. Also, formal experience in childcare, in a professional context, was associated with breastfeeding initiation but not duration. KEY CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Mother's mother and mother's previous breastfeeding experience have a strong influence on breastfeeding practices. Breastfeeding interventions should be tailored to the mother's level of experience and should provide extra support for multiparous mothers with no previous breastfeeding experience.
OBJECTIVE: To assess the role of the mother's mother and mothers' previous personal experiences with breastfeeding and childcare in breastfeeding practices. DESIGN AND SETTING: The analysis included 13,774 mother-infant dyads from the French national birth cohort ELFE. Feeding practices were assessed by face-to-face interview in maternity wards in 2011, by phone interviews at months 2 and 12 post-partum and by Internet/paper questionnaires monthly from months 3-10. Sociodemographic, maternal and newborn-related factors were collected in the maternity unit and by postnatal phone interview at month 2. Multivariable logistic and linear regression was used to assess the association of mother's mother and mothers' previous personal experiences with breastfeeding initiation and duration. FINDINGS: Previous breastfeeding experience (i.e., whether mothers had breastfed their previous children) was positively associated with both breastfeeding initiation and duration. Mothers who had been breastfed themselves as infants were more likely to initiate and continue breastfeeding than non-breastfed mothers. Conversely, non-breastfed mothers who had received care advice from their own mother were less likely to start and maintain breastfeeding. The effect of having been breastfed in infancy was especially important for primiparous mothers and to a lesser extent, multiparous mothers with no previous breastfeeding experience. Also, formal experience in childcare, in a professional context, was associated with breastfeeding initiation but not duration. KEY CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Mother's mother and mother's previous breastfeeding experience have a strong influence on breastfeeding practices. Breastfeeding interventions should be tailored to the mother's level of experience and should provide extra support for multiparous mothers with no previous breastfeeding experience.