Longitudinal patterns of breastfeeding initiation.

Breastfeeding, in spite of proven benefits and energetic promotion, lags behind national goals, is less prevalent in disadvantaged populations, and declines across successive children in a family. Using longitudinally linked data from the New Jersey Electronic Birth Certificate (EBC) from 1996 to 2001, we found considerable fluidity in breastfeeding status at hospital discharge for births to the same mother. Among mothers who breastfed exclusively after the first birth, only 69% did so after the second (we refer to this as recurrence).

Comparing sociodemographic and hospital influences on breastfeeding initiation.

Background: Healthy breastfeeding practice in the United States depends decisively on high rates of initiation at the delivery hospital. We sought to estimate the component of hospital variation in rates of exclusive breastfeeding at discharge that was dependent on demographic composition. Isolating that component can help to illuminate the potential independent contribution of hospital policies, practices, and staff behaviors.