Clara Aarts

Breastfeeding Patterns in Relation to Thumb Sucking and Pacifier Use

Objectives. To analyze the influence of thumb sucking and pacifier use on breastfeeding patterns in exclusively breastfed infants, on the duration of exclusive breastfeeding, and on the total breastfeeding duration. Study Design. Descriptive, longitudinal, prospective study. Setting. The subjects were recruited from a population of 15 189 infants born in the maternity ward at the University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden between May 1989 and December 1992. Study Population. 506 mother–infant pairs. Methods. Daily recordings by the mothers on infant feeding from the first week after delivery through the duration of the study. Fortnightly home visits with structured interviews by a research assistant. Results. Pacifier use was associated with fewer feeds and shorter suckling duration per 24 hours, shorter duration of exclusive breastfeeding, and shorter total breastfeeding duration compared with no pacifier use. These associations were not found for thumb sucking. The possible negative effects of pacifiers on breastfeeding seemed to be related to the frequency of their use. Maternal age and education only slightly modified the association between pacifier use and breastfeeding duration. Conclusions. More frequent use of a pacifier was associated with shorter breastfeeding duration, even among a group of mothers who were highly motivated to breastfeed. breastfeeding duration, breastfeeding pattern, exclusive breastfeeding, pacifier use, thumb sucking.

Breastfeeding patterns in exclusively breastfed infants : a longitudinal prospective study in Uppsala, Sweden.

Exclusive breastfeeding was studied among 506 infants in Uppsala, Sweden, based on daily recordings during the first 6 mo. The mothers had previously breastfed at least one infant for at least 4 mo. Most of the mothers considered that they breastfed on demand. Wide variations in breastfeeding frequency and suckling duration were found both between different infants and in the individual infant over time. At 2 wk, the mean frequency of daytime feeds (based on one 13‐d record) between different infants ranged from 2.9 to 10.8 and night‐time feeds from 1.0 to 5.1. The daytime suckling duration (based on one 24‐h record) ranged from 20 min to 4h 35min and night‐time duration from 0 to 2h 8 min. At any given age, a maximum of only 2% of the infants were not breastfed during the night. At 4 mo, 95% of the infants were breastfeeding and 40% were exclusively breastfed at this age. Longer breastfeeding duration and longer duration of exclusive breastfeeding were both associated with higher frequency of breastfeeds, longer breastfeeding of the previous child and higher education. No gender differences were found. Maternal smoking was associated with shorter duration of exclusive breastfeeding, and pacifier use was associated with shorter duration of both exclusive breastfeeding and total breastfeeding. This study confirms that every mother‐infant pair needs to be understood as a unique dyad throughout lactation. These data demonstrate a wide range of patterns among women who are exclusively breastfeeding and indicate that it would be inappropriate to put pressure on individual families to adopt preconceived patterns of infant feeding.

Duration of breastfeeding and breastfeeding problems in relation to length of postpartum stay : a longitudinal cohort study of a national Swedish sample.

Aim: To investigate the association between length of postpartum stay and duration of breastfeeding and breastfeeding problems, with special focus on early hospital discharge. Methods: Swedish‐speaking women were recruited from all antenatal clinics in Sweden during 3 wk evenly spread over 1 y in 1999 to 2000. In total, 3293 women (71% of those who were eligible) consented to participate in the study. Data were collected by questionnaires in early pregnancy, 2 mo and 1 y postpartum, and from the Swedish Medical Birth Register. For the purpose of this study, only data from the 2709 women (82%) who filled in the question about length of stay in the 2‐mo questionnaire were analysed. Women were divided into six groups according to length of postpartum stay (day 1: < 24h to day 6: ± 120h). Results: The median duration of any breastfeeding was 7 mo in women discharged on day 1, and 8 mo in women discharged on any of the following days; a non‐significant difference (p= 0.66). Besides hospital policies regarding length of stay (residential area) and number of domiciliary visits, early discharge was associated with the following maternal characteristics, which could be divided into three categories: (1) older, multipara, many children; (2) positive experience of the first breastfeeding after birth; (3) low education, economic problems, smoking, lack of support from partner. Late discharge was associated with operative delivery, preterm birth and low infant birthweight. When these factors were controlled for by Cox regression analysis, no statistical differences were found between the six groups in the relative risk of discontinuing to breastfeed. Breastfeeding problems, such as engorgement and mastitis, did not differ, but women discharged on day 6 or later had fewer problems with sore or cracked nipples during the first week and more problems 4–8 wk postpartum.

Pregnancy planning in Sweden : a pilot study among 270 women attending antenatal clinics

Objective. Health status and lifestyle before and at the time of conception could affect the health of both mother and child, but there is a lack of knowledge about the degree to which pregnancies are planned. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate whether and how women plan their pregnancies. Material and methods. The main outcome measures were use of timetables, ovulation tests and lifestyle changes. Women (n= 322) visiting four antenatal clinics were asked to fill out a questionnaire (participation rate = 83.9%, n= 270). Results. Three of four pregnancies (n= 202) were very or rather well planned, whereas 4.4% (n= 12) were totally unplanned. During the planning period, 37.1% (n= 100) made up a timetable for getting pregnant, 23% (n= 62) used ovulation tests, 20.7% (n= 56) took folic acid and 10.4% (n= 28) changed alcohol consumption. Conclusion. Although a majority of these women had planned pregnancies, only one in five had taken folic acid during the planning period.

Association between mothers’ and fathers’ depressive symptoms, sense of coherence and perception of their child’s temperament in early parenthood in Sweden

Aims: To examine whether there was any association between mothers’ and fathers’ post-partum depressive symptoms and sense of coherence and perception of their child’s temperament. The hypotheses were that parents with depressive symptoms: 1) have more often a poor sense of coherence, and 2) perceive their child’s temperament to be more difficult than parents without depressive symptoms. Methods: A total of 401 Swedish-speaking couples, who were the parents of children born through the years 2004–2006 in the northern part of the county of Västmanland, Sweden, were invited to participate in the study. The parents answered 3 questionnaires including: at inclusion of the study: demographic data (n = 393 couples); at 3 months: the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and the Sense of Coherence Scale (n = 308 couples); and at 18 months: the Infant Characteristics Questionnaire (n = 272 couples). Results: Depressive symptoms measured at 3 months, were reported by 17.7% of mothers and 8.7% of fathers, and correlated significantly between mothers and fathers within couples (rho = 0.165, p = 0.003). Mothers and fathers with depressive symptoms had a poorer sense of coherence (p < 0.001, p < 0.001) and perceived their child’s temperament as more difficult than mothers and fathers without depressive symptoms at 3 (p = 0.028, p < 0.001) and 18 months (p = 0.145, p = 0.012 respectively). Conclusions : Early parenthood has been studied thoroughly in mothers, but few studies have included fathers. Identifying problems in early parenthood could help predict later problems exhibited by the preschool child, which might be prevented by supportive programmes.

Being a close relative of a patient with a left ventricular assist device

Background: Every year in Sweden, between five and ten patients receive a mechanical heart pump due to grave heart failure. One such pump is the left ventricle assist device (LVAD). At home they need much support from their family. Aim: To investigate the close relatives’ experience of their role in relation to patients with an LVAD. Methods: An exploratory study using unstructured interviews with six close relatives of patients with an LVAD. The interviews consisted of one open question: ‘What is it like to be the close relative of a patient with an LVAD?’ The interviews were analysed using thematic content analysis. Results: The time before LVAD surgery was described as a time of emotional ups and downs, and compared to ‘being on an emotional rollercoaster ride’. The nearest relatives were in shock, felt anxiety and uncertainty, and wished to be near the patient. The time after surgery was described as a period in which they had to ‘cope with the new situation.’ During this period, the staff was experienced as a resource and the relatives described feelings of gratitude, willpower, and acceptance. The stay at home with a person with an LVAD was described as a ‘new orientation phase’ with limited freedom and the need for respite care. The interviewees expressed the need for support, especially once the patient was at home. Conclusion: It is important to also offer long-term professional support to the nearest relatives of patients with an LVAD.

Is pregnancy planning associated with background characteristics and pregnancy‐planning behavior?

Prevalence of planned pregnancies varies between countries but is often measured in a dichotomous manner. The aim of this study was to investigate to what level pregnant women had planned their pregnancies and whether pregnancy planning was associated with background characteristics and pregnancy‐planning behavior.

Growth under privileged conditions of healthy Swedish infants exclusively breastfed from birth to 4-6 months: a longitudinal prospective study based on daily records of feeding.

Aim: In most studies the methodology used to study growth in relation to breastfeeding patterns cannot ensure that exclusive breastfeeding has in fact occurred since birth. The aim of this study was to investigate the growth of healthy infants in Sweden in whom exclusive breastfeeding for the first 4–6 mo was ascertained through daily feeding records and to compare the results with the World Health Organization (WHO) “12‐month breastfed pooled data set” and the Euro‐Growth references for exclusively breastfed infants, as well as with the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)/WHO reference. Methods: 147 exclusively breastfed infants and 325 non‐exclusively breastfed Swedish infants, with a birthweight of ≥3 kg, were included. The mothers had previous breastfed at least one infant for at least 4 mo. Weight was recorded fortnightly and length monthly. Results: Infants exclusively breastfed since birth showed similar growth in weight and height to that of the non‐exclusively breastfed infants. During the first 6 mo of life the growth of exclusively breastfed infants was also similar to that of the infants regularly receiving formula at 12–16 wk of age, mostly in addition to breast milk. The monthly growth increments were fairly similar to those of the “WHO pooled breastfed data set” and the Euro‐Growth references for exclusively breastfed infants.

Depressive symptoms postpartum among parents are associated with marital separation : A Swedish cohort study

Aims: To study whether there is an association between dyadic consensus, depressive symptoms, and parental stress during early parenthood and marital separation 6–8 years after childbirth, among couples in Sweden. Methods: At baseline, 393 couples were included. The couples answered three questionnaires, including: Dyadic consensus at 1 week post-partum, depressive symptoms at 3 months post-partum and parental stress at 18 months post-partum. The parents’ addresses were followed up after 6–8 years, to study the marital separation rate. Results: We found, 6–8 years after childbirth, that 20% of study couples were separated. Separation was associated with less dyadic consensus (mothers p < 0.001; fathers p < 0.001), depressive symptoms (mothers p = 0.022; fathers p = 0.041) and parental stress (mothers p = 0.002; fathers p = 0.040). The hazard ratio (HR) for marital separation was related to dyadic consensus for fathers (HR 0.51; 95% CI 0.28–0.92), depressive symptoms for mothers (HR 1.69; 95% CI 1.01–2.84) and fathers (HR 1.92; 95% CI 1.12–3.28), and the mother’s parental stress (HR 2.16; 95% CI 1.14–4.07). Conclusions: Understanding how dyadic consensus, depressive symptoms and parental stress are associated with marital separation is important for health professionals. It could be useful in developing interventions to provide parents with adequate support during pregnancy and early parenthood. This knowledge is also important for the public. Parents should get support in pregnancy and while bringing up children, which may help prevent marital separation and optimize conditions for the children.

A European union and Canadian review of public health nursing preparation and practice.

OBJECTIVE This study explores the preparation and role of the public health nurse (PHN) across European Union (EU) countries (Finland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom) and Canadian provinces (Alberta, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island). METHODS A literature review including relevant peer reviewed articles from 2000 on, in conjunction, with critical debate was undertaken. The results were considered in relation to the three essential areas of PHN practice, outlined in the World Health Organization (Moving on from Munich: A reference guide to the implementation of the declaration on nurses and midwives: A force for health, 2001b) recommendations, family oriented care, public health action, and policy making. RESULTS The major challenge the review revealed across a variety of international education and practice environments was the lack of consistent preparation for and engagement with leadership and policy making in practice.