PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Olga Garcia Falceto
AU  - Elsa R. J. Giugliani
AU  - Carmen Luiza C. Fernandes
TI  - Influence of Parental Mental Health on Early Termination of Breast-Feeding: a Case-Control Study
AID  - 10.3122/jabfm.17.3.173
DP  - 2004 May 01
TA  - The Journal of the American Board of Family Practice
PG  - 173--183
VI  - 17
IP  - 3
4099  - http://www.jabfm.org/content/17/3/173.short
4100  - http://www.jabfm.org/content/17/3/173.full
SO  - J Am Board Fam Med2004 May 01; 17
AB  - Background: The WHO recommends exclusive breast-feeding for babies up to 6 months of age. The association between maternal mental health and breast-feeding duration is contradictory. This is a case-control study to investigate this association.Methods: 153 families with 4-month-old babies from an urban area in southern Brazil were investigated: in 51 families, breast-feeding had being discontinued (cases); in 102, babies were being breast-fed (controls). Two researchers evaluated maternal and paternal mental health during home visits using semistructured interviews and scales.Results: Disorders were found in 59% of case mothers versus 48% of control mothers. Depression was the most prevalent disorder affecting both mothers and fathers. We did not identify a statistically significant association between maternal mental disorder at 4 months after delivery and early termination of breast-feeding. When the mother had mental problems during the first month after delivery, however, she was twice as likely to interrupt breast-feeding. Among the mothers with mental disorders during puerperium, 76% still had the problem 4 months postpartum. An association was observed between maternal and paternal mental health.Conclusions: Parental mental health does not seem to be associated with breast-feeding at 4 months in this culture setting where most mothers have good family and social support for breast-feeding. Maternal mental disorders during puerperium, however, may negatively affect the duration of breast-feeding.