Maternal obesity and breast-feeding practices

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Health
• Maternal-Child Health
• Nutrition Science

Background:

• Maternal obesity's impact on lactation is debated in human studies, despite animal model evidence suggesting negative effects.
• Previous research on maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain in relation to breastfeeding outcomes remains inconclusive.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between pre-pregnancy obesity and excessive gestational weight gain with breastfeeding initiation and duration.
• To test the hypothesis that obese women or those with excessive weight gain during pregnancy are less likely to initiate and maintain breastfeeding.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 124,151 mother-infant pairs from the Pediatric Nutrition Surveillance System and Pregnancy Nutrition Surveillance System.
• Categorization of pre-pregnancy Body Mass Index (BMI) and gestational weight gain based on Institute of Medicine guidelines.
• Utilization of multiple logistic and linear regression models to assess breastfeeding initiation and duration.

Main Results:

• Obese women were less likely to initiate breastfeeding compared to normal-weight women with recommended gestational weight gain, irrespective of their own weight gain.
• Both pre-pregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain independently influenced breastfeeding duration.
• Women with pre-pregnancy obesity breastfed for approximately 2 weeks less, while those with inadequate or excessive gestational weight gain breastfed for about 1 week less.

Conclusions:

• Pre-pregnancy obesity and inadequate gestational weight gain negatively impact breastfeeding practices.
• Women with pre-pregnancy obesity or suboptimal gestational weight gain require enhanced breastfeeding support.
• These findings highlight the need for targeted interventions to improve breastfeeding outcomes in at-risk maternal populations.