Headlines - Epifane: Breastfeeding Rates at the Maternity Ward and During the Child’s First Month, 2012

The objectives of Epifane (Epidemiology in France of the Diet and Nutritional Status of Children During Their First Year of Life) are to regularly describe, based on a national random sample of infants, breastfeeding practices and duration, the use of commercial infant formula, and the methods of introducing solid foods (PE, January 19, 2012). The article published in this month’s BEH1 presents breastfeeding rates at the maternity ward and at 1 month of age, and describes trends according to maternal characteristics.The analysis included 2,936 mothers (87% of the total) enrolled between January 16 and April 5, 2012, in 136 maternity wards. At the maternity ward, more than two-thirds of infants (69%) were receiving breast milk (60% exclusively, 9% in combination with infant formula). At one month of age, 54% were breastfed (35% exclusively). The rapid decline in exclusive breastfeeding is evident as early as the first week.Whether in the maternity ward or at one month of age, the breastfeeding rate was higher when the mother was at least 30 years old, married, had a level of education higher than a high school diploma, was born abroad, had not smoked during her pregnancy, had taken childbirth preparation classes, had direct skin-to-skin contact with her child within an hour of delivery, and when the partner had a positive view of breastfeeding. [...]