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Lactation duration: influences of human milk replacements and formula samples on women planning postpartum employment
J Chezem1, C Friesen, P Montgomery
1Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, Ball State University, Muncie, IN 47306, USA.
Objective:
To examine the influences of inhospital administration of breast milk replacements and receipt of formula samples on lactation duration among women planning postpartum employment.
Design:
Prospective design.
Setting:
Telephone interviews conducted prenatally and at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months post-partum.
Participants:
Sixty-nine participants entered the study; 53 completed all scheduled interviews.
Main Outcome Measures:
Incidence and type of in-hospital human milk replacement, incidence and sources of formula samples, incidence of breastfeeding at 6 weeks postpartum, and duration of lactation.
Results:
During hospitalization, 19% of infants received formula; the incidence of breastfeeding at 6 weeks and duration of breastfeeding were significantly shorter in these infants compared with infants who were not fed formula. Fifty-nine percent of participants received formula samples from the hospital, 30% received samples from a physician's office, and 51% received samples by mail. Receipt of formula samples by mail was associated with reduced incidence of breastfeeding at 6 weeks and shortened duration of lactation.
Conclusions:
Early formula feeding and receipt of formula samples by mail may be barriers to lactation in women employed outside the home.