Niegel Susan, Ystrom Eivind, Hagtvet Knut A, Vollrath Margarete E
Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Division of Mental Health, Department of Psychosomatics and Health Behavior, Oslo, Norway.
J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2008 Dec;29(6):458-62. doi: 10.1097/dbp.0b013e3181877a88.
(1) To examine the extent to which difficult temperament and breastfeeding are associated at child age 6 and 18 months. (2) To examine longitudinally whether breastfeeding has an influence on temperament development or whether difficult temperament has an influence on continued breastfeeding.
This prospective study is part of the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study, which targets all women giving birth in Norway; the present sample comprises 30,466 children. Mothers reported on child difficult temperament at child age 6 and 18 months and on breastfeeding from 0 to 6 months and from 6 to 12-14 months. Prospective associations between breastfeeding and difficult temperament were examined using structural equation modeling, with comparison of cross-lagged pathways. All analyses were adjusted for background variables that are relevant for breastfeeding.
At 6 months, children with more difficult temperament were significantly less likely to have been "fully" breastfed (exclusively and predominantly breastfed) for the recommended period of 6 months (unadjusted point-biserial correlation r pb = -.15; adjusted r pb = -.11). At 12 to 14 months, there was no longer an association between difficult temperament and (continued) breastfeeding after adjusting for background variables, temperament, and breastfeeding at 6 months. The cross-lagged analyses of the longitudinal pathways yielded negligible effects of difficult temperament on later breastfeeding and of breastfeeding on later temperament.
Difficult temperament and reduced breastfeeding seem to be associated only during the first half-year of the child's life. After that, we found no evidence of codevelopment between difficult temperament and breastfeeding.
（1）研究6个月和18个月大儿童的难养型气质与母乳喂养之间的关联程度。（2）纵向研究母乳喂养是否对气质发展有影响，或者难养型气质是否对持续母乳喂养有影响。
这项前瞻性研究是挪威母婴队列研究的一部分，该研究针对所有在挪威分娩的妇女；本样本包括30466名儿童。母亲们报告了孩子在6个月和18个月大时的难养型气质，以及0至6个月和6至12 - 14个月期间的母乳喂养情况。使用结构方程模型并比较交叉滞后路径，研究母乳喂养与难养型气质之间的前瞻性关联。所有分析均针对与母乳喂养相关的背景变量进行了调整。
在6个月时，气质较难养的儿童在推荐的6个月期间“完全”母乳喂养（纯母乳喂养和主要母乳喂养）的可能性显著降低（未调整的点二列相关系数r pb = -0.15；调整后的r pb = -0.11）。在12至14个月时，在调整了背景变量、6个月时的气质和母乳喂养情况后，难养型气质与（持续）母乳喂养之间不再存在关联。纵向路径的交叉滞后分析显示，难养型气质对后期母乳喂养以及母乳喂养对后期气质的影响可忽略不计。
难养型气质与母乳喂养减少似乎仅在儿童生命的前半年有关联。在此之后，我们没有发现难养型气质与母乳喂养之间共同发展的证据。
