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Updated: Jan 31, 2026

Cross-Modal Multivariate Pattern Analysis
Published on: November 9, 2011
Breastfeeding avoidance following psychological intimate partner violence during pregnancy: a cohort study and
S Martin-de-Las-Heras1, C Velasco2, J D Luna-Del-Castillo3
1Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Granada, Granada, Spain.
Objective:
To evaluate if the experience of psychological intimate partner violence (IPV) adversely affects breastfeeding rates.
Design:
A cohort study.
Setting:
Maternities in 15 public hospitals, drawn using cluster sampling of obstetric services in Andalusia, Spain.
Population:
A total of 779 consecutive mothers receiving antenatal care including ultrasound and giving birth during February-June 2010.
Methods:
Trained midwives gathered IPV data using the Index of Spouse Abuse validated in the Spanish language (score ranges: 0-100, higher scores reflect more severe IPV; cut-off: psychological IPV = 25). Sociodemographic data including lack of kin support, and obstetric and neonatal outcomes were collected. Multivariate logistic regression estimated adjusted odds ratios (aOR), with 95% confidence intervals (CI), of the relationship between psychological IPV and breastfeeding, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and obstetric complications.
Main Outcome Measure:
Breastfeeding avoidance defined as lack of breastfeeding or pumping of breast milk to feed the new baby in the immediate post-partum period.
Results:
Response rate was 92.2%. A total of 70% (n = 545) of women initiated breastfeeding. Psychological IPV, reported by 21.0% (n = 151), increased the odds of breastfeeding avoidance (aOR = 2.0; 95% CI = 1.2-3.3) adjusting for the presence of obstetric complications (aOR = 1.6; 95% CI = 1.0-2.4).
Conclusions:
Mothers with psychological IPV avoid breastfeeding. Clinicians should be aware of the risks to infant arising from this deficiency due to IPV in pregnancy.
Tweetable Abstract:
Psychological intimate partner violence, reported by one in five mothers in this study, on average doubles the avoidance of breastfeeding.
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