Associations of Maternal Beliefs and Distress in Pregnancy and Postpartum With Breastfeeding Initiation and Early Cessation.
Genevieve Ritchie-Ewing, Amanda M Mitchell, Lisa M Christian
PMID 29969342WHAT IT FOUND
Higher pregnancy-specific distress in the first trimester was associated with stopping breastfeeding before 8 weeks.
More positive breastfeeding beliefs before delivery were associated with initiating and continuing.
Key findings
01Participants who stopped breastfeeding before 8 weeks reported higher pregnancy-specific distress in the first trimester than the other groups.
02Participants who continued breastfeeding had more positive beliefs about breastfeeding at the third trimester than those with early cessation, and those with early cessation had more positive beliefs than those who never initiated.
03At postpartum, participants who continued breastfeeding reported fewer depressive symptoms than the other groups, and participants who never initiated or had early cessation reported higher anxiety than those who continued.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 70 women from one Ohio location were analysed, so the results may not apply to other populations. The study was a secondary analysis and did not have an a priori sample size calculation; post hoc power was low for depressive symptoms and perceived stress. Women with diabetes, immune conditions, hypertension, substance use, or fetal anomaly were excluded, so findings may not apply to higher-risk pregnancies. The design was observational, so it cannot show that distress or beliefs caused breastfeeding initiation or cessation.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that treating pregnancy worry or depression will improve breastfeeding. This study was observational, small, and based on associations, so it cannot show that any intervention caused better breastfeeding.