Effects of smoking on breast feeding

Infant feeding methods used by mothers who smoke and by mothers who do not, who delivered in one maternity hospital, were compared to determine if smoking affected breast feeding. Significantly more of the smoking group chose either to bottle feed from delivery or, having been discharged from the hospital breast feeding, changed to bottle feeding before the baby was 6 weeks old. This pattern was seen in each socioeconomic group and, as the smoking and non-smoking mothers were otherwise comparable, suggests that smoking may have a direct effect on breast feeding.