Longitudinal relations between prenatal maternal stress and breastfeeding duration and exclusivity at 1-month of age

• In Event: Poster Session 03
  In Poster Session: PS 03 Topic - Family Context & Processes

Abstract

The short- and long-term health benefits that mothers and children experience from breastfeeding depend, in part, on the duration of breastfeeding and exclusivity in feeding breastmilk. Greater benefits are observed with more exclusivity for breastmilk over formula and a duration of at least 6 months to a year. More recently, two studies (Dozier et al., 2012 and Li et al., 2008) have demonstrated that increased maternal stress negatively impacts breastfeeding practices, specifically early cessation by 3 months postpartum.

Given this research, the present project aims to investigate the longitudinal relations between prenatal maternal stress and breastfeeding practices at 1 month postpartum. We hypothesize that higher maternal stress prenatally would predict differing long-term breastfeeding plans and lower breastfeeding exclusivity at infant age 1 month, either by way of formula supplementation or complete breastfeeding cessation.

Ninety-three socioeconomically diverse mother-infant dyads were recruited as part of a longitudinal study examining associations between socioeconomic circumstance on child development. Participants completed visits prenatally and at infant age 1 month. Perceived stress was measured prenatally by the Perceived Stress Scale (Cohen, Kamarck, & Mermelstein, 1994). A survey taken at infant age 1 month captured breastfeeding practices. Measures included exclusivity of breastfeeding and planned duration of breastfeeding. The measure of breastfeeding exclusivity included three options: exclusively breastfed, exclusively formula-fed, and a combination of formula-feeding and breastfeeding. Planned duration of breastfeeding was coded to categorize whether the mother intended to breastfeed for ‘less than a year’ or ‘more than a year’.

Preliminary results suggest that mothers who reported higher prenatal stress were marginally more likely to report that they intended to breastfeed for a year or longer (B=.077, p=.086). Interestingly, perceived prenatal maternal stress did not predict whether or not mothers were actually more likely to be exclusively breastfeeding at infant age 1 month (B = -.009, p = .494).

Together, we find preliminary evidence that perceived maternal stress during pregnancy predicts how long mothers intend to breastfeed, but does not predict differences in breastfeeding practices at infant age 1 month. Given existing evidence suggesting that by 3 months postpartum stress is negatively associated with breastfeeding practices, this null association between stress and breastfeeding practices at 1 month postpartum provides a potentially promising time period for interventions aimed at improving the breastfeeding practices of new mothers.

Authors

• Shanitah Young, Columbia University
  Presenting Author

• Sonya V. Troller-Renfree, Teachers College, Columbia University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Kimberly G Noble, Teachers College, Columbia University
  Non-Presenting Author