The impact of maternal employment on breast-feeding duration in the UK Millennium Cohort Study.

摘要

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between maternal employment characteristics, day care arrangements, type of maternity leave pay and breast feeding for at least 4 months. Mothers of babies aged 9 months in the Millennium Cohort Study, born between September 2000 and January 2002 were selected as study participants, comprising a total of 6917 British/Irish white employed women with singleton babies. Mothers employed part-time or self-employed were more likely to breast feed for at least 4 months than those employed full-time (adjusted rate ratio (aRR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.30 (1.17-1.44) and 1.74 (1.46-2.07), respectively). The longer a mother delayed her return to work postpartum, the more likely she was to breast feed for at least 4 months (P < 0.001). Mothers were less likely to breast feed for at least 4 months if they returned to work for financial reasons (aRR 0.86, 95% CI 0.80-0.93) or used informal day care arrangements rather than care by themselves or their partner (aRR 0.81, 95% CI 0.71-0.91). Mothers were more likely to breast feed for at least 4 months if their employer offered family-friendly (aRR 1.14, 95% CI 1.02-1.27) or flexible work arrangements (aRR 1.24, 95% CI 1.00-1.55), or they received Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) plus additional pay during their maternity leave rather than SMP alone (aRR 1.13, 95% CI 1.02-1.26). These findings were independent of confounding factors, such as socio-economic status and maternal education. Results suggest that current policies may encourage mothers to enter or return to employment postpartum, but that this may result in widening inequalities in breast feeding and persistence of low rates. Policies should aim to increase financial support and incentives for employers to offer supportive work arrangements.