Maternal obesity adversely affects early breastfeeding in a multicultural, multi-socioeconomic Melbourne community.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Maternal breastfeeding support and maternal obesity are concerns effectively addressed at the community level. International, national and regional surveys have established that elevated maternal body mass index (BMI) is a risk factor for early cessation of breastfeeding. However, the extent of these concerns in the local community is often an unknown and related to variables such as socioeconomic status, education, culture and ethnicity. AIMS: We believed that a survey of post-natal breastfeeding and BMI status would provide a valuable insight into developing targeted local health initiatives. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 2014, we teamed up with the Whittlesea Maternal and Child He..