Poster #59 - Do Paternal Characteristics Moderate Associations Between Breastfeeding Duration and Maternal Mental Health and Supportive Parenting?

• In Event: Poster Session 08

Abstract

Breastfeeding is a potential postnatal predictor of maternal psychological well-being and of supportive parenting, both of which are reliably related to child behavioral outcomes. In addition, paternal psychological well-being and/or supportive parenting behaviors may enhance the potential benefits of breastfeeding on later maternal outcomes. However, to date, studies have rarely considered the role of fathers when investigating associations between breastfeeding duration and maternal outcomes.

The Behavioral Outlook Norwegian Developmental Study (BONDS) is an ongoing, prospective study that began following 1,159 children when the target child was 6 months of age (48% girls). Parents reported on duration of breastfeeding in infancy. Parental depression and anxiety symptoms were reported by fathers and mothers at 12 and 24 months, respectively. Parent-child interactions were observed and coded to assess supportive parenting for fathers and mothers at 12 and 24 months, respectively. Two separate path models were constructed to examine associations between breastfeeding duration and maternal outcomes, considering moderation via paternal factors, including: (1) a depression/anxiety model, and (2) a supportive parenting model. Final models adjusted for sociodemographic (child’s age, child’s sex, parents’ nativity, socioeconomic risk), prenatal (birthweight, NICU admittance), and postnatal (parents’ relationship satisfaction) covariates.

Longer breastfeeding duration and greater paternal supportive parenting at 12 months were independently related to greater maternal supportive parenting at 24 months, even after covariate adjustment (β= .10, p=.021 and β= .16, p<.001, respectively). Breastfeeding duration was not a significant predictor of maternal depression/anxiety at 24 months, although lower paternal depression/anxiety at 12 months was associated with lower maternal depression/anxiety at 24 months (β= .10, p=.049). However, this association was attenuated to non-significance after the inclusion of covariates, most notably socioeconomic risk. Additionally, there was no evidence of moderation via paternal supportive parenting or paternal depression/anxiety at 12 months.

Findings suggest that the benefits of breastfeeding extend to maternal supportive parenting, but not maternal psychological well-being. Supportive paternal parenting and lower paternal depression/anxiety also emerged as predictors of maternal outcomes, although the latter was not independent of socioeconomic context and neither moderated associations between breastfeeding duration and maternal outcomes. The results extend prior research on the roles of breastfeeding and paternal involvement in supporting mothers in early childhood to a culture where both breastfeeding and paternal parenting are highly supported relative to most other Western societies.

Authors

• Brianna N. Natale, University of Pittsburgh
  Presenting Author

• Julia Sarah Feldman, University of Pittsburgh

• Daniel S. Shaw, University of Pittsburgh

• Kristin Berg Nordahl

• Harald Janson, The Norwegian Center for Child Behavioral Development (NUBU)

• Ane Nærde, The Norwegian Center for Child Behavioral Development