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Breastfeeding Duration, Social and Occupational Characteristics of Mothers in the French ‘EDEN Mother–Child’ Cohort

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Abstract

Socio-demographic characteristics of mothers have been associated with exclusive breastfeeding duration, but little is known about the association with maternal full- and part-time employment and return to work in European countries. To study the associations between breastfeeding, any and almost exclusive (infants receiving breast milk as their only milk) breastfeeding, at 4 months of infant’s age and the socio-demographic and occupational characteristics of mothers. We used the EDEN mother–child cohort, a prospective study of 2002 singleton pregnant women in two French university hospitals. We selected all mothers (n = 1,339) who were breastfeeding at discharge from the maternity unit. Data on feeding practices were collected at the maternity unit and by postal questionnaires at 4, 8 and 12 months after the birth. Among infants breastfed at discharge, 93 % were still receiving any breastfeeding (83 % almost exclusive breastfeeding) at the 3rd completed week of life, 78 % (63 %) at the 1st completed month, and 42 % (20 %) at the 4th completed month. Time of return to work was a major predictor for stopping breastfeeding: the sooner the mothers returned to work, the less they breastfed their babies at 4 months of infant’s age, independently of full-time or part-time employment. The association was stronger for almost exclusive breastfeeding mothers than for any breastfeeding ones. In a society where breastfeeding is not the norm, women may have difficulties combining work and breastfeeding. Specific actions need to be developed and assessed among mothers who return to work and among employers.

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Acknowledgments

We thanks the participating families, our midwife research assistants (L Douhaud, S Bedel, B Lortholary, S Gabriel, M Rogeon, M Malinbaum) for data collection and P Lavoine, J Sahuquillo and G Debotte for checking, coding and data entry. We thank Y Akoli-Kodou, B de Lauzon-Guillain, and N Regnault for their collaboration with the construction of breastfeeding variables. Sources of funding for the EDEN study: Fondation pour la Recherche Médicale (FRM), French Ministry of Research: IFR programme, INSERM Human Nutrition National Research Programme, and Diabetes National Research Programme (through collaboration with the French Association for Diabetes Research (ARD)), French Ministry of Health, French Agency for Environment Security (AFFSET), French National Institute for Population Health Surveillance (INVS), Paris–Sud University, French National Institute for Health Education (INPES), Nestlé, Mutuelle Générale de l’Education Nationale (MGEN), French speaking association for the study of diabetes and metabolism (ALFEDIAM), National Agency for Research (ANR non-thematic programme), National Institute for Research in Public health (IRESP: TGIR cohorte santé 2008 programme). Statistical analyses were carried out in complete independence of funders.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. INSERM, UMR S953, Epidemiological Research Unit on Perinatal Health and Women’s and Childrens’ Health, Hôpital Saint Vincent de Paul, Batiment Lelong, 82 Avenue Denfert-Rochereau, 75014, Paris, France

    Mercedes Bonet, Laetitia Marchand, Monique Kaminski & Béatrice Blondel

  2. UPMC, Univ Paris 06, Paris, France

    Mercedes Bonet, Laetitia Marchand, Monique Kaminski & Béatrice Blondel

  3. INSERM, UMR 1018, Centre for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health, Lifelong Epidemiology of Diabetes, Obesity and Chronic Kidney Disease, 16 Avenue Paul Vaillant-Couturier, 94807, Villejuif Cedex, France

    Anne Fohran, Aisha Betoko & Marie-Aline Charles

  4. Faculty of Medicine, University Paris-Sud, Kremlin-Bicêtre, France

    Anne Fohran, Aisha Betoko & Marie-Aline Charles

Authors
  1. Mercedes Bonet
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  2. Laetitia Marchand
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  3. Monique Kaminski
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  4. Anne Fohran
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  5. Aisha Betoko
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  6. Marie-Aline Charles
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  7. Béatrice Blondel
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Consortia

The “EDEN Mother–Child Cohort Study Group”

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Correspondence to Mercedes Bonet.

Additional information

EDEN mother–child cohort study group MA Charles, M de Agostini, A Forhan, B Heude, P Ducimetière (UMR 1018), M Kaminski, MJ Saurel-Cubizolles, P Dargent, X Fritel, B Larroque, N Lelong, L Marchand, C Nabet (INSERM U953), I Annesi-Maesano (INSERM U707), R Slama (INSERM U823), V Goua, G Magnin, R Hankard (Poitiers University Hospital), O Thiebaugeorges, M Schweitzer, B Foliguet (Nancy University Hospital), N Job-Spira (ANRS).

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Bonet, M., Marchand, L., Kaminski, M. et al. Breastfeeding Duration, Social and Occupational Characteristics of Mothers in the French ‘EDEN Mother–Child’ Cohort. Matern Child Health J 17, 714–722 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-012-1053-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-012-1053-4

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