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Updated: Jun 25, 2026

A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect
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A Common Marmoset Model of Mother-Infant Intervention for Breastfeeding Disorders in the Presence of Paternal Inhibition and Maternal Neglect

Published on: September 22, 2023

Breastfeeding at discharge or transfer from the maternity hospital: results from the German Perinatal Statistics 2021

Anna-Kristin Brettschneider1, Michael Abou-Dakn2,3, Alfred Längler4,5,3

  • 1Department of Nutritional Behaviour, Max Rubner-Institut, Federal Research Institute of Nutrition and Food, Haid-und-Neu-Straße 9, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany. Anna-Kristin.Brettschneider@mri.bund.de.

International Breastfeeding Journal
|June 24, 2026
PubMed

Insights

In Germany, 75.4% of newborns were exclusively breastfed at hospital discharge in 2021. Targeted support is needed for mothers with risk factors to improve breastfeeding rates.

Area of Science:

  • Perinatal Medicine
  • Public Health Nutrition
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Low rates of exclusive breastfeeding in Germany necessitate targeted promotion strategies.
  • Routine data collection on newborn nutrition at hospital discharge began in 2021.
  • Understanding feeding practices at discharge is crucial for assessing breastfeeding support effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Analyze newborn nutrition at hospital discharge/transfer in Germany.
  • Determine rates of exclusive human milk feeding, partial human milk feeding, and exclusive formula feeding.
  • Identify pre- and perinatal factors associated with newborn feeding outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized nationwide mandatory quality assurance data from 2021.
  • Included nutrition data from 656,907 newborns at hospital discharge or transfer.
  • Calculated prevalence rates and 95% confidence intervals for feeding categories.

Main Results:

  • 75.4% of newborns were exclusively fed human milk, 18% partially, and 6.6% exclusively formula-fed at discharge.
  • Maternal overweight/obesity, multiple pregnancies, and cesarean sections were associated with lower exclusive human milk feeding rates.
  • Regional variations in exclusive human milk feeding were observed, with Berlin showing the highest rate.

Conclusions:

  • While progress has been made, increased efforts are required to boost exclusive breastfeeding rates in hospitals.
  • Specific maternal and perinatal risk groups may benefit from tailored breastfeeding interventions.
  • The data serve as a foundation for monitoring, health reporting, and developing evidence-based breastfeeding policies.
Abstract

Keywords:
BreastfeedingBreastfeeding at discharge or transfer from maternity hospitalGermanyNeonatal nutritionRisk factors

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