Evaluating an Association Between Prenatal Smoking Behavior and Exclusive Breastfeeding: A Population-Based Study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Maternal and Child Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Prenatal smoking is linked to negative breastfeeding outcomes.
• Understanding the impact of smoking cessation during pregnancy on breastfeeding is crucial for public health initiatives.
• This study examines smoking during pregnancy and its effect on exclusive breastfeeding in Canada.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the association between continuing or quitting smoking during pregnancy and exclusive breastfeeding for at least six months.
• To analyze data from a representative Canadian population sample to understand these relationships.
• To inform targeted interventions for pregnant smokers to improve infant feeding practices.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Canadian Community Health Surveys (2015-2018) data from 9860 women with recent child births.
• Categorized participants into three prenatal smoking groups: continuing, quitting, or never smoked.
• Employed multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for socio-demographic factors, to determine the association with exclusive breastfeeding.

Main Results:

• Exclusive breastfeeding rates were highest for non-smokers (34.4%), lower for quitters (25.7%), and lowest for continuing smokers (15.7%).
• Continuing smoking during pregnancy was significantly associated with reduced odds of exclusive breastfeeding (aOR 0.47).
• Quitting smoking during pregnancy showed no significant difference in exclusive breastfeeding odds compared to non-smokers (aOR 0.78).

Conclusions:

• Continuing to smoke throughout pregnancy is a significant barrier to achieving exclusive breastfeeding for six months or longer.
• Prenatal smoking cessation interventions hold potential to increase exclusive breastfeeding rates.
• Public health strategies should focus on supporting pregnant individuals to quit smoking to enhance infant health outcomes.