The Ohio State University College of Public Health, Division of Epidemiology, Columbus, Ohio.
The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio.
Breastfeed Med. 2020 Apr;15(4):213-223. doi: 10.1089/bfm.2019.0237. Epub 2020 Feb 14.
Although rates of breastfeeding initiation for multiples may be similar to those of singletons, breastfeeding duration falls short. Evidence-based interventions tailored to families with multiples may help reduce the gap; however, these do not yet exist and will require a stronger knowledge base about factors related to successful breastfeeding of multiples for long durations. To characterize mothers of multiples who breastfed for >12 months and identify support factors that were important. Mothers of multiples who breastfed for >12 months completed an online questionnaire about their breastfeeding experiences. Bivariate statistics and log-binomial regression were used to examine associations among maternal characteristics, influential factors, and sources of breastfeeding support. This sample of 1,173 women commonly cited partner support, the nutritional/health benefits of breastfeeding, building a strong bond, and enjoyment of breastfeeding as important influences on their decision to breastfeed for >12 months. Younger women, women with less education, Hispanic or Latina women, and nonwhite women were more likely to indicate that cost was important in their decision to breastfeed for more than 12 months (all chi-square < 0.02). Women with more children were less likely to discuss their decision with their friends or partner (e.g., women with 5+ versus 2 children, relative risk for partner = 0.65, 95% confidence interval: 0.52-0.81). Interventions to encourage long-term breastfeeding of multiples might consider promoting the cost, health, and relationship building benefits. Mobilizing a variety of supports-including partners and family-could help mothers of multiples sustain breastfeeding.
尽管多胞胎的母乳喂养起始率可能与单胞胎相似，但母乳喂养的持续时间却较短。针对多胞胎家庭的循证干预措施可能有助于缩小这一差距；然而，目前还没有这些干预措施，而且需要有一个更强大的知识基础，了解与多胞胎长期成功母乳喂养相关的因素。本研究旨在描述母乳喂养时间超过 12 个月的多胞胎母亲，并确定重要的支持因素。 母乳喂养时间超过 12 个月的多胞胎母亲完成了一份关于母乳喂养经历的在线问卷。使用双变量统计和对数二项式回归来检验母亲特征、影响因素和母乳喂养支持来源之间的关联。 该样本由 1173 名女性组成，她们普遍认为伴侣的支持、母乳喂养的营养/健康益处、建立牢固的联系以及享受母乳喂养是她们决定母乳喂养超过 12 个月的重要因素。年轻女性、受教育程度较低的女性、西班牙裔或拉丁裔女性以及非白人女性更有可能表示成本是她们决定母乳喂养超过 12 个月的重要因素（所有卡方检验 < 0.02）。有更多孩子的女性不太可能与朋友或伴侣讨论她们的决定（例如，有 5 个或更多孩子的女性与有 2 个孩子的女性相比，伴侣的相对风险为 0.65，95%置信区间：0.52-0.81）。鼓励多胞胎长期母乳喂养的干预措施可能需要考虑宣传母乳喂养的成本、健康和建立关系的益处。动员各种支持——包括伴侣和家人——可以帮助多胞胎母亲维持母乳喂养。
