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This analysis investigates how risk factors affect breastfeeding outcomes following a telephone support program.

May 20, 2026Open Access

A Post Hoc Analysis of Demographic, Socioeconomic, Health and Mental Health Factors Following a Lactation-Consultant-Led Telephone Breastfeeding Support Program

Key Points

This analysis investigates how risk factors affect breastfeeding outcomes following a telephone support program.
Secondary analysis of data involving 762 mothers (control: 378, intervention: 384)
Breastfeeding types assessed at 1, 3, and 6 months
Multivariate regression analysis to evaluate associations between maternal risk factors and breastfeeding outcomes.
Increased BMF rates at 6 months for European mothers [OR 1.80, 95% CI 1.07–2.96, p=0.027]
Higher BMF rates for unemployed mothers [OR 2.15, 95% CI 1.33–3.50, p=0.002]
Support linked with increased BMF in mothers with history of depression [p=0.044], though less significant than those without.

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Breast Milk Feeding (BMF) benefits mother and infant. However, women with select risk factors report shorter breastfeeding durations. Our previous prospective cohort observational study of a lactation-consultant-led telephone-based support program in the first month postpartum increased BMF rates up to 6 months. This post hoc study further evaluated the program for mothers at increased risk of early breastfeeding cessation. Methods: We performed secondary analysis involving 762 mothers (control, n = 378; intervention, n = 384), recruited between 2018 and 2019. Infant feeding types, including BMF, were recorded at 1, 3 and 6 months. Feeding outcomes were analyzed in association with maternal risk factors. p-values, odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were reported via both univariate (UVA) and multivariate regression analysis (MVA). Results: Via MVA, the intervention was associated with increased 6-month BMF rates in these groupings OR (95%CI), p-value: European 1.80 (1.07–2.96), p = 0.027; South Asian 1.93 (1.19–3.13), p = 0.008; employed 1.47 (1.02–2.12), p = 0.038; unemployed 2.15 (1.33–3.50), p = 0.002; married 1.71 (1.22–2.39), p = 0.002; social support present 1.51 (1.05–2.16), p = 0.026; chronic illness 1.93 (1.35–2.75), p = 0.001; gestational diabetes mellitus 2.17 (1.19–3.95), p = 0.11; overweight and obese 1.48 (1.03–2.12), p = 0.034. A derived success score across the study period indicated via UVA associated increases in BMF rates with history of depression and anxiety (MI) p = 0.044 and ongoing MI p = 0.033, but these increases were smaller than that for no history of MI p < 0.001. No effect was observed in East/Southeast Asian mothers, Middle Eastern mothers, single or de facto mothers, older mothers, mothers without social support and mothers of any skill level. Conclusions: Although early postpartum telephone support was associated with a number of positive findings of improved BMF at 6 months and over the course of the study, the results were mixed. This suggests that future breastfeeding telephone-based initiatives need to be multifaceted in order to target mothers at risk of early breastfeeding cessation.

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Fan et al. (Mon,) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a0d4ec0f03e14405aa99fde https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18101601

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