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Bed-sharing at 3 months and breast-feeding at 1 year in southern Brazil

Iná S Santos1, Denise M Mota, Alicia Matijasevich

  • 1Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Federal University of Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brazil. inasantos@uol.com.br

The Journal of Pediatrics
|July 15, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Bedsharing with infants at 3 months old was associated with continued breastfeeding at 12 months. This practice, known as bedsharing, helped protect against early weaning in infants.

Area of Science:

  • Maternal and Child Health
  • Pediatrics
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Breastfeeding is crucial for infant health and development.
  • Understanding factors that promote sustained breastfeeding is essential for public health initiatives.
  • Bedsharing practices are common in many cultures but have varying recommendations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the relationship between bedsharing at 3 months postpartum and breastfeeding continuation at 12 months of age.
  • To determine if bedsharing influences the likelihood of weaning before 12 months.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort study of 4231 live births in Pelotas, Brazil, initiated in 2004.
  • Mothers were interviewed at birth, 3 months, and 12 months regarding infant feeding and bedsharing habits.
  • Analysis focused on single births breastfed at 3 months, using Poisson regression for multivariate analysis.

Main Results:

  • The prevalence of breastfeeding at 12 months was higher among infants who bedshared at 3 months (59.2%) compared to those who did not (44%).
  • Bedsharing was associated with a reduced risk of weaning: adjusted prevalence ratio (PR) for weaning was 0.75 (95% CI: 0.69-0.81).
  • This protective effect was observed across exclusively, predominantly, and partially breastfed infants.

Conclusions:

  • Bedsharing at 3 months of age demonstrated a protective effect against weaning up to 12 months.
  • The findings suggest that bedsharing may be a factor supporting prolonged breastfeeding duration.
  • Further research could explore the mechanisms and safety aspects of bedsharing in relation to breastfeeding.
Abstract

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