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Does Exclusive Breastfeeding Increase After Hospital Discharge? A Greek Study

Faculty of Pediatrics at the University of Athens, Athens, Greece, cbakoula@med .uoa.gr

Polyxeni Nicolaidou, MD, PhD

Faculty of Pediatrics at the University of Athens, Athens, Greece

Alexandra Veltsista, MD, MSc

Anargyroula Prezerakou, MD

University of Athens

Maria Moustaki, MD, PhD

University of Athens

George Kavadias, PhD

Demetrios Lazaris, MD, PhD

Faculty of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Athens, Athens, Greece

Andreas Fretzayas, MD, PhD

Faculty of Pediatrics at the University of Athens, Athens, Greece

Xenofon Krikos, MD

Faculty of Pediatrics at the University of Athens, Athens, Greece

Themistoklis Karpathios, MD, PhD

Faculty of Pediatrics at the University of Athens, Athens, Greece

Nikolaos Matsaniotis, MD, PhD

Faculty of Pediatrics at the University of Athens, Athens, Greece

To monitor the rate of exclusive breastfeeding in Greek maternity wards and to investigate possible changes in infant-feeding practices during the first month after hospital discharge, the authors questioned 4310 Greek mothers from 7 hospitals on the fourth day postpartum. Odds ratios were calculated to estimate the effects of health system, demographic, psychosocial, and environmental factors. Any breastfeeding and full breastfeeding initiation rates were 85% and 23%, respectively. One month postpartum, the corresponding rates of any and exclusive breastfeeding were 79% and 61%, respectively. Mothers of infants who lacked continuous rooming-in while in the maternity ward (OR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.27-3.40) and with previous experience of breastfeeding (OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.19-1.79) were more likely to reestablish exclusive breastfeeding at home despite the use of supplementation in the maternity ward. It seems women are capable of overcoming supplementation in hospital and can revert to exclusive breastfeeding at home. J Hum Lact. 23(2):165-173.

Key Words: exclusive breastfeeding • initiation • supplementation • infant feeding • Greece

Journal of Human Lactation, Vol. 23, No. 2, 165-173 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/0890334407300384


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