Early Postpartum Patterns of Breastfeeding Exclusivity and Perceived Insufficient Milk by Prepregnancy Body Mass Index.
Rachel Renee Dieterich, Susan Sereika, Jill Demirci
PMID 34793724WHAT IT FOUND
Pre-pregnancy BMI did not predict early postpartum exclusive breastfeeding or perceived insufficient milk over eight weeks in 122 first-time parents.
Exclusive feeding without milk-supply worries persisted; non-exclusive feeding and milk-supply worries also persisted.
Key findings
01Pre-pregnancy BMI did not predict trajectory group membership for perceived insufficient milk or breastfeeding exclusivity over the first eight weeks postpartum.
0262 participants were consistently likely to breastfeed exclusively, and 60 were initially less likely to breastfeed exclusively and became less likely over time.
0381 participants were consistently likely to report no perceived insufficient milk, and 41 were consistently less likely to report no perceived insufficient milk.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The analysis used 122 control-group participants from a parent randomized trial, not a sample designed to answer this BMI question. Trajectory group sizes were relatively small, with fewer than 82 participants in each group. Only 20% of participants had obesity, which may have limited the ability to detect a relationship between BMI and outcomes. The sample was mostly White and non-Hispanic, so findings may not generalize to Hispanic and non-White populations. Follow-up stopped at eight weeks postpartum, so longer-term breastfeeding patterns were not assessed. The study did not examine why participants stopped breastfeeding or whether perceived insufficient milk caused them to stop exclusive breastfeeding. Pre-pregnancy BMI was based on self-reported height and weight.
Declared interests
The supplied metadata lists research support from N.I.H., Extramural. The provided article text does not include a funding or conflict-of-interest declaration.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that pre-pregnancy BMI cannot affect breastfeeding outcomes. This analysis included 122 mostly White control-group participants, only 20% had obesity, and it stopped at eight weeks, so it was limited in detecting BMI differences.