Breastfeeding Behaviors and Maternal Interaction Quality in a Low-Income, Ethnic Minority Population.
Mackenzie D M Whipps, Elizabeth B Miller, Debra L Bogen and 4 others
PMID 31613842WHAT IT FOUND
In low-income mothers, higher breastfeeding intensity at six months was linked to more sensitive and less intrusive play with their infants.
Exclusive breastfeeding showed similar benefits. These associations held even after accounting for whether the mother had ever breastfed.
Key findings
01Breastfeeding intensity at 6 months was significantly associated with higher maternal sensitivity and lower maternal intrusiveness, after controlling for breastfeeding initiation.
02Breastfeeding exclusivity at 6 months was significantly associated with higher maternal sensitivity and lower maternal intrusiveness, with small-to-moderate effect sizes.
03Breastfeeding initiation alone was associated with lower maternal intrusiveness, but not with sensitivity, detachment, or verbal responsiveness.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
Breastfeeding initiation was recalled at 6 months, risking bias. Unmeasured factors may explain differences in parenting. Low rates of detachment reduced power to detect associations. Findings may not generalize beyond low-income, urban, ethnic minority populations. The study is observational and cannot prove causation.
Declared interests
The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these associations as evidence that breastfeeding causes better parenting. The study is observational, and unmeasured factors like maternal motivation or pre-existing sensitivity may drive both breastfeeding success and interaction quality.