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Updated: Aug 23, 2026

A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect
Published on: September 22, 2023
Influence of parental mental health on early termination of breast-feeding: a case-control study
Olga Garcia Falceto1, Elsa R J Giugliani, Carmen Luiza C Fernandes
1Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Background:
The WHO recommends exclusive breast-feeding for babies up to 6 months of age. The association between maternal mental health and breast-feeding duration is contradictory. This is a case-control study to investigate this association.
Methods:
153 families with 4-month-old babies from an urban area in southern Brazil were investigated: in 51 families, breast-feeding had being discontinued (cases); in 102, babies were being breast-fed (controls). Two researchers evaluated maternal and paternal mental health during home visits using semistructured interviews and scales.
Results:
Disorders were found in 59% of case mothers versus 48% of control mothers. Depression was the most prevalent disorder affecting both mothers and fathers. We did not identify a statistically significant association between maternal mental disorder at 4 months after delivery and early termination of breast-feeding. When the mother had mental problems during the first month after delivery, however, she was twice as likely to interrupt breast-feeding. Among the mothers with mental disorders during puerperium, 76% still had the problem 4 months postpartum. An association was observed between maternal and paternal mental health.
Conclusions:
Parental mental health does not seem to be associated with breast-feeding at 4 months in this culture setting where most mothers have good family and social support for breast-feeding. Maternal mental disorders during puerperium, however, may negatively affect the duration of breast-feeding.
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