A comparison of breastfeeding rates among children with pervasive developmental disorder, and controls.

The breastfeeding rates for 50 children with pervasive developmental disorder (PDD) from North Dakota's roster of PDD patients were compared with the national average and with the rates for a control group matched for age, sex, and IQ. In addition, the breastfeeding rates for the normal siblings of the PDD and control groups were compared with the national average to help determine whether the lower breastfeeding rate among PDD patients was a function of parenting practices. The breastfeeding rates for the PDD and control groups were not significantly different from each other, but both were significantly lower than the national average. The breastfeeding rate for the normal siblings of PDD children was almost identical to the national average, but the rate for the siblings of the matched control group was significantly lower than the national average. These results are discussed in terms of hypotheses regarding the early parent-child interactions and characteristics in the families of PDD children.