May be of interest.
PEDIATRICS Vol. 107 No. 3 March 2001, p. e38
http://www.pediatrics.org/cgi/content/full/107/3/e38
Solids and Formula: Association With Pattern and Duration of Breastfeeding
Agneta Hörnell, PhD, Yngve Hofvander, MD, PhD, and Elisabeth Kylberg, PhD
Objectives. To study changes in pattern and duration of breastfeeding
associated with the introduction of solids and formula.
Study Design. Descriptive longitudinal, prospective study.
Setting. The participants were recruited from the maternity ward in the
University Hospital in Uppsala, Sweden, between May 1989 and December 1992.
A total of 15 189 infants were born during the period, 1 177 mother-infant
pairs were found eligible for participation; 57% declined because of the
perceived high workload.
Study Population. Five hundred six mother-infant pairs.
Methods. Daily recordings by the mothers on infant feeding, from the first
week after delivery to the second menstruation postpartum or a new
pregnancy; fortnightly home visits with structured interviews by a research
assistant.
Results. Introduction of solids was associated with no or minor changes in
breastfeeding frequency and suckling duration. Breastfeeding frequency
remained constant the first month after the introduction and then declined
slowly, while daily suckling duration started to decline slowly when solids
were introduced. Breastfeeding duration was not associated with infants' age
at introduction of solids. In infants given formula, as soon as regular
formula feeds started, the breastfeeding frequency and suckling duration
declined swiftly. The younger an infant was at the start of regular formula
feeds, the shorter the breastfeeding duration.
Conclusions. Health care personnel and parents need to be aware that
introduction of solids and introduction of formula can have very different
consequences for breastfeeding. If the aim is to introduce other foods to
breastfed infants under the protection of breast milk, it is important to
realize that formula is also another food and needs to be treated as such.
Key words: breastfeeding pattern, breastfeeding frequency, breastfeeding
duration, weaning, solids, formula, follow-on formula.
Magda Sachs
Breastfeeding Supporter, BfN, UK
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