Is Paternal Infant Care Associated with Breastfeeding? A Population-Based Study in Japan

作者：Jun Ito, Takeo Fujiwara, Ronald G. Barr · 发表于：Journal of Human Lactation · 年份：2013 · DOI：10.1177/0890334413488680 · 被引用次数：48 · 研究领域：Breastfeeding Practices and Influences、Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum、Neuroscience of respiration and sleep

BACKGROUND: One qualitative study has reported that more paternal infant care and housework contributed to the maintenance of breastfeeding. However, few studies have quantitatively investigated these relationships. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the association of paternal involvement in infant care and housework with exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months of life. METHODS: Data from a population-based birth cohort study in Japan, the Longitudinal Survey of Babies in the 21st Century, were analyzed. We extracted information on infants who were singletons, term, normal birth weight, and living with both parents (n = 39 742). The associations between degree of paternal involvement in infant care and housework (high, middle, low) and breastfeeding patterns (exclusive, partial, formula only) were analyzed using ordered logistic regression adjusted for covariates. Maternal anxiety about childrearing was considered as a mediator. RESULTS: Compared with the low level of paternal infant care group, infants in the middle and high level groups were significantly less likely to have been breastfed (adjusted odds ratio: 0.90, 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.84-0.97; and 0.73, 95% CI, 0.67-0.79, respectively). In contrast, the amount of housework carried out by fathers was not associated with breastfeeding pattern. Maternal anxiety about childrearing did not attenuate the association between paternal infant care and breastfeeding. CONCLUSION: Paternal infant care was i...