How do high ambient temperatures affect infant feeding practices? A prospective cohort study of postpartum women in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.

Objective: To examine the effects of high ambient temperature on infant feeding practices and childcare.

Design: Secondary analysis of quantitative data from a prospective cohort study.

Setting: Community-based interviews in the commune of Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. Exclusive breastfeeding is not widely practised in Burkina Faso.

Participants: 866 women (1:1 urban:rural) were interviewed over 12 months. Participants were interviewed at three time points: cohort entry (when between 20 weeks' gestation and 22 weeks' postpartum), three and nine months thereafter. Retention at nine-month follow-up was 90%. Our secondary analysis focused on postpartum women (=857).

Exposure: Daily mean temperature (°C) measured at one weather station in Bobo-Dioulasso. Meteorological data were obtained from publicly available archives (TuTiempo.net).

Primary Outcome Measures: Self-reported time spent breastfeeding (minutes/day), exclusive breastfeeding of infants under 6 months (no fluids other than breast milk provided in past 24 hours), supplementary feeding of infants aged 6-12 months (any fluid other than breast milk provided in past 24 hours), time spent caring for children (minutes/day).

Results: The population experienced year-round high temperatures (daily mean temperature range=22.6°C-33.7°C). Breastfeeding decreased by 2.3 minutes/day (95% CI -4.6 to 0.04, =0.05), and childcare increased by 0.6 minutes/day (0.06 to 1.2, =0.03), per 1°C increase in same-day mean temperature. Temperature interacted with infant age to affect breastfeeding duration (=0.02), with a stronger (negative) association between temperature and breastfeeding as infants aged (0-57 weeks). Odds of exclusive breastfeeding very young infants (0-3 months) tended to decrease as temperature increased (OR=0.88, 0.75 to 1.02, =0.09). There was no association between temperature and exclusive breastfeeding at 3-6 months or supplementary feeding (6-12 months).

Conclusions: Women spent considerably less time breastfeeding (~25 minutes/day) during the hottest, compared with coolest, times of the year. Climate change adaptation plans for health should include advice to breastfeeding mothers during periods of high temperature.