Identification of risk factors for shorter breastfeeding durations in Mexico City through survival analysis

Subjects were recruited in two large public hospitals. In the Hospital General (n=333) all women roomed-in with their infants and the hospital had a breastfeeding promotion program in place. In the Hospital de la Mujer women were interviewed in either a rooming-in ward (n=185) or in a ward for "high-risk" women (n=247) where the newborn and the mother had little contact with each other. Participants were followed up in their homes at 1.4 months and at 4.2 months and attrition was 45%. Multivariate survival analysis showed that maternal employment, being a teenage mother, and low maternal motivation for breastfeeding were risk factors for shorter breastfeeding durations. The impact of the maternity ward on breastfeeding was modulated by maternal education and an index of household belongings. These interactions illustrate the importance of context and population characteristics when we try to understand the impact of promotional efforts on a complex behavior such as breastfeeding. (Author abstract)