Breastfeeding dips in informal childcare

Research by the Institute of Child Health at University College London found that babies who are cared for by relatives, friends, neighbours or unregistered childminders are less likely to be breastfed compared with babies placed in formal childcare, regardless of whether provision was fullor part-time.

Lead researcher Anna Pearce said, 'It is likely that for many mothers, it is not childcare use in isolation that influences the decision to breastfeed, but a chain of antenatal decisions about infant feeding, childcare and employment.'

The study, which looked at whether the association between childcare and breastfeeding varied by social group, found that mothers using informal childcare were less likely to breastfeed regardless of their socio-economic background.

However, in formal childcare the association with breastfeeding did depend on the mother's background. Those who had a degree or came from managerial or professional backgrounds were less likely to breastfeed than similarly qualified mothers who did not use childcare at all.

Lone mothers were also more likely to breastfeed if they used formal childcare than lone mothers who did not use any childcare.

The findings are based on 18,050 children from the UK Millennium Cohort Study, which tracks the long-term health and well-being of children born between 2000 and 2002.

The report authors recommend that breastfeeding campaigns target everyone, not just those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and that greater support be given during pregnancy and after birth to help mothers make decisions.

- Further information

'Informal childcare curbs chances of infants being breastfed' is published in this month's issue of Archives of Disease in Childhood. Visit www.adc.bmj.com