Does early introduction of solid feeding lead to early cessation of breastfeeding? A secondary analysis of three cohort studies

Lessa, A., Garcia, A. L. , Emmett, P., Crozier, S., Robinson, S., Godfrey, K. M. and Wright, C. M. (2020) Does early introduction of solid feeding lead to early cessation of breastfeeding? A secondary analysis of three cohort studies. Maternal and Child Nutrition, 16(4), e12944. (doi: 10.1111/mcn.12944) (PMID:31995283) (PMCID:PMC7507438)

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Abstract

Mixed milk feeding increases the likelihood of breastfeeding cessation, but it is not known if solid feeding (SF) has the same effect. We have identified 10,407 infants breastfed for at least 8–10 weeks from three large U.K. studies (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children [ALSPAC; born 1990–1991], Southampton Woman's Survey [SWS; 1998–2008], and Infant Feeding Survey 2010 [IFS 2010]) to investigate the associations between early SF and breastfeeding cessation. In the earliest study (ALSPAC), 67% had started SF before the age of 4 months, but in the latest (IFS), only 23% had started before 4 months. Solid food introduction before 4 months was associated with stopping breastfeeding before 6 months in all three cohorts, with little effect of adjustment for maternal sociodemographic characteristics (Poisson regression, adjusted prevalence ratios: ALSPAC 1.55, [95% confidence interval 1.4, 1.8], SWS 1.13 [1.0, 1.3], IFS 1.10 [1.1, 1.3]). Using Cox regression, adjusted hazard ratios for breastfeeding cessation compared with SF after 5 months were 2.07 (1.8, 2.4) for SF before 4 and 1.51 (1.3, 1.8) at 4–5 months for ALSPAC and 1.25 (1.1, 1.5) and 1.15 (1.0, 1.3) for SWS. Earlier introduction of solids was associated with a shorter duration of breastfeeding, particularly in cohorts where earlier introduction of solids was the norm, with a dose–response relationship, which was not explained by background social characteristics. As mothers most commonly introduced solids in the month prior to the then recommended age, continuing to recommend deferring solids to the age of 6 months is important to support sustained breastfeeding.

Item Type:Articles
Additional Information:There was no specific grant funding for this project. The Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Brazil funded AGs postdoctoral fellowship at Glasgow. The UK Medical Research Council and Wellcome (Grant ref: 102215/2/13/2) and the University of Bristol provide core support for ALSPAC. UK Medical Research Council (MC_UU_12011/4), British Heart Foundation, Food Standards Agency, European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007‐2013, project EarlyNutrition under grant agreement n°289346) and NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust have provided support for aspects of the SWS included in this report. KMG is a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Senior Investigator (NF‐SI‐0515‐10042).
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Garcia, Dr Ada and Wright, Professor Charlotte and Lessa, Professor Angelina
Authors: Lessa, A., Garcia, A. L., Emmett, P., Crozier, S., Robinson, S., Godfrey, K. M., and Wright, C. M.
College/School:College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing
Journal Name:Maternal and Child Nutrition
Publisher:Wiley
ISSN:1740-8695
ISSN (Online):1740-8709
Published Online:29 January 2020
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2020 The Authors
First Published:First published in Maternal and Child Nutrition 16(4): e12944
Publisher Policy:Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

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