The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #61672

Laurence Grummer-Strawn, PhD, Maternal and Child Nutrition Branch, Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, NE, Mailstop K25, Atlanta, GA 30341, 770 488 6048, lxg8@cdc.gov

The definition of breastfeeding varies widely across research studies, data systems, and policy documents. This inconsistency contributes to contradictory results in research on breastfeeding outcomes, discrepancies in surveillance results, and inadequate evidence of program effectiveness. The Breastfeeding Promotion Consortium (BPC), representing national public and private organizations engaged in breastfeeding promotion and support, conducted a series of meetings in 2002-2003 on how breastfeeding is and should be defined in the U.S. The outcome of the group’s meetings is a set of recommendations for additional research on many dimensions of breastfeeding and for consistency across studies in the definition of breastfeeding incidence, duration, and exclusivity. In the recommendations, the BPC describes how the issues for defining breastfeeding differ for benefit eligibility (e.g. WIC or jury duty exemption), surveillance and monitoring, policies and guidelines, and research. They lay out a number of dimensions of breastfeeding that should be considered in research including timing of initiation, stopping and resuming breastfeeding, milk volume intake, frequency of feedings per day, time between feedings, duration of feedings, supplementation with liquids and solids, use of expressed milk, and on demand feeding. Particular attention is given to the implications of assessing exclusive breastfeeding based on 24-hour recall or retrospective reports. Questions used in national data collection systems for assessing breastfeeding initiation, duration, and exclusivity are compared. Finally, the BPC recommends that standard language for questions on breastfeeding initiation, duration of any breastfeeding, and duration of exclusive breastfeeding be used in surveillance and relevant research.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of this session, the participant (learner) will be able to:
• 1. Describe several dimensions of breastfeeding that may have different health effects.
• 2. Discuss implications of assessing whether an infant is exclusively breastfeeding or has been exclusively breastfed since birth.
• 3. Recognize how differences in breastfeeding questions can affect statistics

Keywords: Breastfeeding, Surveillance

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.