The Relationship Between Infant Feeding Outcomes and Maternal Emotional Well-being Among Mothers of Late Preterm and Term Infants: A Secondary, Exploratory Analysis.
Kristin P Tully, Diane Holditch-Davis, Susan Silva and 1 others
PMID 27533332WHAT IT FOUND
Mothers of late preterm infants had lower exclusive breastfeeding rates in hospital and higher anxiety and depression than term mothers.
Among late preterm dyads, using formula was linked to more distress, but this was an association, not proof that formula causes distress.
Key findings
01Late preterm mothers had significantly less exclusive human milk provision during hospitalization than term mothers, and this difference remained after accounting for depressive symptoms.
02For late preterm dyads, supplementing with formula in hospital was associated with higher maternal anxiety, and at one month, exclusive human milk feeding was associated with lower depressive symptoms compared to formula use.
03Feeding outcomes for term infants were not associated with maternal emotional well-being measures.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
This was a secondary, exploratory analysis with a small sample size (105 mothers), limiting the ability to draw firm conclusions. The study excluded non-English speaking Hispanic mothers and families with multiples, restricting generalizability. Prenatal emotional distress was not assessed, so it is unclear if pre-existing conditions influenced postpartum outcomes. Breastfeeding intentions and comfort with formula were only measured in a subsample of 53 participants. The cross-sectional nature of the data means cause-and-effect cannot be established; distress may lead to formula use, or formula use may lead to distress.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The study was conducted at Duke University Medical Center.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that formula feeding causes maternal distress. The study found an association, but the direction of causality is unknown; distressed mothers may be more likely to use formula, or the stress of struggling with breastfeeding may drive formula use.