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Breast-feeding may decrease smoking relapse after pregnancy

The longer a mother breast-fed after childbirth, the likelier it was the mother reduced her smoking habits at 9 months postpartum, according to recent study results.

“Breast-feeding seems to be a protective factor against increases in smoking after childbirth, so interventions should educate women about breast-feeding to maximize effectiveness,” Shannon Shisler, BA, of the University at Buffalo, said in a press release. “Supporting women through at least 3 months of breast-feeding may have long-term benefits in smoking reduction.”

Shisler and colleagues analyzed data from 168 women who smoked during pregnancy and followed them from their first prenatal appointment through 9 months after giving birth. The goal was to observe changes in smoking habits from the third trimester to 9 months postpartum.

The women smoked an average of 10.71 cigarettes per day before conception, 3.77 cigarettes daily in the third trimester and 6.26 cigarettes per day at 9 months postpartum. Fifty-five percent of the women did not breast-feed their infants, while 11% of women breast-fed for 1 week or less.

The primary predictor of changes in smoking behavior among the cohort at 9 months postpartum was the duration at which they breast-fed their child. Women who breast-fed babies for at least 90 days smoked approximately 2.4 cigarettes per day, while those who did not breast-feed smoked approximately six cigarettes daily.

“Increase in tobacco consumption after the birth of a child may have harmful effects on both the mother, and the infant who is at higher risk of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke,” Shisler said in the release. – by Ryan McDonald

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.