Trends in breastfeeding practices and mothers' experience in the French NutriNet-Santé cohort.
Breastfeeding cessation
Breastfeeding duration
Exclusive breastfeeding
Mothers’ support
Total breastfeeding
Journal
International breastfeeding journal
ISSN: 1746-4358
Titre abrégé: Int Breastfeed J
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101251562
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
02 07 2021
02 07 2021
Historique:
received:
23
10
2020
accepted:
15
06
2021
entrez:
3
7
2021
pubmed:
4
7
2021
medline:
26
10
2021
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
France has one of the lowest rates in the world regarding breastfeeding initiation and duration. Few studies have explored breastfeeding practices in France since the middle of the twentieth century, or following from initiation to cessation. The purpose of our study was to determine trends in breastfeeding over the past decades regarding public health recommendations, and to examine mothers' perceptions about factors known to have an impact on breastfeeding support and cessation. From the NutriNet-Santé cohort, 29,953 parous women (launched in 2009 to study relation between nutrition and health), were included in the present study. Using web-questionnaires, they were asked retrospectively if they had breastfed their youngest child or not, and if so, the duration of exclusive and total breastfeeding. For those who had breastfed, we investigated their perceptions about support at initiation and during the entire breastfeeding period and reasons for breastfeeding cessation. We also asked those who did not breastfeed about their perceptions and reasons for infant formula feeding their youngest child. Analyses were weighted according to the French census data. In the NutriNet-Santé cohort, 67.3% of mothers breastfed their youngest child. The proportion of breastfed children increased over the past few decades, from 55.0% (95% CI 54.3, 55.6) in the 1970s to 82.9% (82.4, 83.4) in the 2010s. Total and exclusive breastfeeding duration went from 3.3 months and 2.4 months respectively in the 1970s to 5.9 months and 3.2 months respectively in the 2010s. Most mothers felt supported at initiation and during the breastfeeding period. A reported desire to have breastfed longer than two months was 59.5%. Mothers who did not breastfeed did it by choice (64.3%). They did not feel guilty (78.2%) and did not perceive a problem not to breastfeed (58.8%), but almost half of them would have liked to have breastfed (45.9%). Breastfeeding duration has increased in the past decades but did not reach the public health recommendations threshold. Targets other than mothers have to be considered for breastfeeding education, like the partner and her environment, to increase breastfeeding practices. The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT03335644 ).
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
France has one of the lowest rates in the world regarding breastfeeding initiation and duration. Few studies have explored breastfeeding practices in France since the middle of the twentieth century, or following from initiation to cessation. The purpose of our study was to determine trends in breastfeeding over the past decades regarding public health recommendations, and to examine mothers' perceptions about factors known to have an impact on breastfeeding support and cessation.
METHODS
From the NutriNet-Santé cohort, 29,953 parous women (launched in 2009 to study relation between nutrition and health), were included in the present study. Using web-questionnaires, they were asked retrospectively if they had breastfed their youngest child or not, and if so, the duration of exclusive and total breastfeeding. For those who had breastfed, we investigated their perceptions about support at initiation and during the entire breastfeeding period and reasons for breastfeeding cessation. We also asked those who did not breastfeed about their perceptions and reasons for infant formula feeding their youngest child. Analyses were weighted according to the French census data.
RESULTS
In the NutriNet-Santé cohort, 67.3% of mothers breastfed their youngest child. The proportion of breastfed children increased over the past few decades, from 55.0% (95% CI 54.3, 55.6) in the 1970s to 82.9% (82.4, 83.4) in the 2010s. Total and exclusive breastfeeding duration went from 3.3 months and 2.4 months respectively in the 1970s to 5.9 months and 3.2 months respectively in the 2010s. Most mothers felt supported at initiation and during the breastfeeding period. A reported desire to have breastfed longer than two months was 59.5%. Mothers who did not breastfeed did it by choice (64.3%). They did not feel guilty (78.2%) and did not perceive a problem not to breastfeed (58.8%), but almost half of them would have liked to have breastfed (45.9%).
CONCLUSION
Breastfeeding duration has increased in the past decades but did not reach the public health recommendations threshold. Targets other than mothers have to be considered for breastfeeding education, like the partner and her environment, to increase breastfeeding practices.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov ( NCT03335644 ).
Identifiants
pubmed: 34215307
doi: 10.1186/s13006-021-00397-x
pii: 10.1186/s13006-021-00397-x
pmc: PMC8254215
doi:
Banques de données
ClinicalTrials.gov
['NCT03335644']
Types de publication
Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
50Références
Lancet. 2016 Jan 30;387(10017):491-504
pubmed: 26869576
BMC Public Health. 2010 May 11;10:242
pubmed: 20459807
Int Breastfeed J. 2018 May 25;13:19
pubmed: 29849742
J Paediatr Child Health. 1997 Aug;33(4):305-7
pubmed: 9323617
Clin Pediatr (Phila). 1994 Apr;33(4):214-9
pubmed: 8013168
Arch Fr Pediatr. 1991 Jun-Jul;48(6):391-5
pubmed: 1929725
J Perinat Educ. 2011 Winter;20(1):36-44
pubmed: 22211058
BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2016 Jul 29;16(1):194
pubmed: 27472915
Birth. 2002 Dec;29(4):278-84
pubmed: 12484390
Am J Epidemiol. 1990 Sep;132(3):572-5
pubmed: 2389760
Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2004 Sep;191(3):708-12
pubmed: 15467529
Arch Pediatr. 2000 May;7(5):571-2
pubmed: 10855402
Matern Child Health J. 2018 Nov;22(11):1676-1684
pubmed: 29961230
Pediatrics. 1992 Aug;90(2 Pt 1):224-7
pubmed: 1641286
Am J Epidemiol. 2005 Feb 1;161(3):289-96
pubmed: 15671261
Int J Public Health. 2008;53(2):68-77
pubmed: 18681335
Midwifery. 2000 Dec;16(4):323-30
pubmed: 11080468
Nutr Rev. 2005 Apr;63(4):103-10
pubmed: 15869124
Arch Pediatr. 1998 May;5(5):489-96
pubmed: 9759181
J Hum Lact. 2011 May;27(2):115-21
pubmed: 21173422
Lancet. 2016 Jan 30;387(10017):475-90
pubmed: 26869575
Public Health Nutr. 2001 Dec;4(6A):1353-5
pubmed: 11918479
Matern Child Nutr. 2019 Oct;15(4):e12872
pubmed: 31284324
Matern Child Health J. 2013 May;17(4):714-22
pubmed: 22729659
Pediatrics. 2005 Oct;116(4):e494-8
pubmed: 16199676