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Poster #99 - Sources of Information and Support for Feeding from 6 weeks to 3 months Postpartum

Thu, March 21, 2:15 to 3:30pm, Baltimore Convention Center, Floor: Level 1, Exhibit Hall B

Integrative Statement

During the first year of life, feeding is a major parenting task. Breastfeeding duration and timing of introduction of solids are linked to child wellbeing and obesity, making these feeding outcomes critical. To help parents make evidence-based feeding decisions, multiple sources of information and support are needed. However, research has yet to consider how sources of information and support change across the first year. As a first step in addressing changing needs of families, the current research examined: Objective 1) changes in sources of information and support for feeding from 6 weeks to 3 months postpartum, and Objective 2) demographic differences associated with changing sources.

Method: Women (n = 431; 77% non-Hispanic White, average age 31 years) participating in the STRONG Kids 2 birth cohort study completed questions from the CDC Survey on Infant Feeding Practices II at six weeks and 3 months postpartum. Questions were categorized into sources of information and support (coded yes/no) based on available data that fell within CDC strategies, including: Professional Support (CDC#3); Peer Group Support (CDC#4); Workplace Support (CDC#5); Early Care Support (ECE) (CDC#6); and Education and Information (CDC#7; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). A category representing friends and relatives was also included, given their recognized role of support in breastfeeding. Mothers reported feeding methods at 6 weeks (formula-feeding: 11%, breastfeeding: 70.6%, or combined: 18.4%). Mothers exclusively feeding human milk (HM) were further classified as exclusive direct breastfeeding (16.1%) or also feeding expressed HM (54.5%).

Results: Of the five CDC sources measured, only three could be examined due to missing data for the workplace and ECE categories (the non-CDC friend and relative category was also included). Changes in sources of information and support were examined using McNemar tests, which indicated that all four categories included non-random patterns of change (Table 1). Descriptive data indicated professional support was most frequently consistent (~70% of sample), while peer group support was most likely to be absent (38%). Increasing support was observed across categories, indicating mothers who did not receive support soon after birth may receive support later on.
Demographic differences were examined using Fisher’s exact tests (Table 2). Mothers at greater risk of breastfeeding cessation and child risk of obesity (lower maternal education, WIC users, formula feeding) more frequently reported absent or decreasing support across multiple categories. However, support from education and information sources (CDC #7) was more likely to have increased from 6 weeks to 3 months among mothers using WIC, identified as an ethnicity other than White, or combined feeding.

Discussion: Mother-child pairs at greater risk may not receive the breastfeeding supports they need during the first few months of life. However, increases in support from educational and information sources, such as paper or online materials (CDC #7), were noted, suggesting mothers may seek out easily accessible supports as their child gets older. Ensuring supports for women who do not receive it early on may promote breastfeeding. Additional analyses will focus on connections between changing support with longitudinal feeding outcomes and maternal self-efficacy.

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