[Breastfeeding in a multi-ethnic population: changes between 2009 and 2015].

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatrics
• Maternal Health

Background:

• Breastfeeding is crucial for infant health.
• Understanding trends in breastfeeding rates is important for public health initiatives.
• Ethnic disparities in infant feeding practices may exist.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze changes in breastfeeding rates among infants aged 0-6 months in Amsterdam from 2009 to 2015.
• To investigate breastfeeding trends across the total population and specific ethnic groups.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study analyzed data from 165,420 infant registrations (75,543 infants).
• Infant feeding data were collected at 2 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months.
• Statistical analysis used chi-squared tests to identify significant differences.

Main Results:

• Overall breastfeeding rates (total and exclusive) increased from 2009 to 2015.
• Exclusive breastfeeding rates saw notable increases.
• The Turkish ethnic group had the highest exclusive breastfeeding rates, while Antillean/Aruban and Surinamese groups had the lowest.

Conclusions:

• Breastfeeding rates in Amsterdam improved between 2009 and 2015, indicating progress but also room for further enhancement.
• Interventions focusing on breastfeeding promotion could particularly benefit infants from Surinamese or Antillean/Aruban backgrounds.
• Further research is needed to understand the underlying reasons for lower breastfeeding rates in specific ethnic groups before implementing targeted interventions.