Exclusive breastfeeding of full-term infants during the first 6 months after discharge from a neonatal unit in China: A cross-sectional study

Objectives To elucidate breastfeeding patterns, the reasons for stopping exclusive breastfeeding, and the sociodemographic characteristics associated with exclusive breastfeeding of full-term infants during the 6 months after discharge from a neonatal unit in China. Methods This cross-sectional study included mothers of full-term infants who were discharged from the 40-bed neonatal unit (level IIA) of a tertiary hospital in Hunan province, China between August 2019 and September 2020. Information on breastfeeding patterns was collected through telephone interviews with the mothers 6 months after their infants had been discharged from the neonatal unit. Binary logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding. Results This study included 489 mother-infant dyads. At 6 months after discharge, 51.5% of mothers were exclusively breastfeeding, 29.0% of mothers were partially breastfeeding, and 19.4% of mothers were not breastfeeding. The most common reason for stopping breastfeeding was ``poor milk supply'' (81.2%). Factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding included multiparity, exclusive breastfeeding before the hospitalization, providing breast milk to the hospitalized infant, and a high level of maternal education. Conclusions In the Chinese culture, mothers who experienced multiparity and higher-level education were more likely to breastfeed their infants to 6 months after discharge from the neonatal unit. In addition, infants who were exclusively breastfed before and during hospitalization were also more likely to be exclusively breastfed after discharge. The results will help inform future research aimed at identifying interventions to reduce early breastfeeding cessation.