Association Between Prepregnancy Body Mass Index and Newborn Breastfeeding Initiation
Melanie Boyd1, Clare C Brown1, Anthony Goudie1,2
1Department of Health Policy and Management, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Science, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
Summary
Mothers with higher prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) are less likely to initiate breastfeeding. Targeted support is needed for overweight and obese mothers to improve breastfeeding rates.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Health
- Maternal Health
- Public Health
Background:
- Breastfeeding offers significant health benefits to newborns.
- Identifying mothers who do not initiate breastfeeding is crucial for targeted interventions.
- Prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) is a key maternal health indicator.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the association between prepregnancy BMI categories and breastfeeding initiation before hospital discharge.
- To identify maternal BMI ranges associated with lower breastfeeding initiation rates.
Main Methods:
- Utilized National Vital Statistics System birth certificate data (2014-2021) for 15,599,930 in-hospital deliveries.
- Employed multivariable logistic regression analysis.
- Categorized prepregnancy BMI into eight groups: underweight, healthy weight, overweight, Obesity Class I, II, III, and IV (super obese).
Main Results:
- Approximately 83% of mothers initiated breastfeeding before hospital discharge.
- A decreased likelihood of breastfeeding initiation was observed with increasing prepregnancy BMI compared to healthy weight.
- Mothers in overweight and all obesity classes (I-IV) showed significantly reduced odds of initiating breastfeeding.
Conclusions:
- Mothers with prepregnancy BMI above the healthy range have a reduced likelihood of initiating breastfeeding.
- Findings highlight the need for tailored interventions and lactation support for mothers with elevated BMI.
- This data can inform public health strategies to improve breastfeeding initiation rates among at-risk populations.
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