Breastfeeding and mental health in adulthood: A birth cohort study in Brazil

Abstract

BackgroundBreastfeeding is negatively associate with behavioral and internalization problems, psychological stress, and depressive/anxiety symptoms. However, studies evaluating specific mental health disorders are scarce. We aimed to assess the association between breastfeeding and mental health outcomes in young adults.MethodsIn 1982, hospital deliveries in Pelotas (Southern Brazil) were identified; liveborns were examined and their mothers interviewed (n=5914). Information on breastfeeding was collected in early childhood. In 2012–13, at 30 years of age, we used the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) for the diagnosis of major depression (MD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD). In addition, we used the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and the Self-reported Questionnaire (SRQ-20), to evaluate depressive symptoms severity and common mental disorders (CMD), respectively. We used multivariable regression models to evaluate the association between breastfeeding and mental health outcomes.ResultsWe evaluated 3657 individuals. Prevalence of CMD, MD, GAD and SAD was 24.3%, 7.9%, 12.7% and 3.6%, respectively. In multivariable models the odds of having a more severe case of depression (BDI-II) was smaller among those breastfed for 6 or more months (OR=0.69 95%CI [0.53–0.89]). We observed a similar pattern for MD and CMD, however, confidence intervals included the reference.LimitationsWe had no information on home environment characteristics during childhood. Lack of power and a small effect size could explain why we did not detect an association between breastfeeding and MD.ConclusionBreastfeeding reduced the odds of having more severe depressive symptoms.

The influence of postpartum PTSD on breastfeeding: A longitudinal population‐based study

“…Breastfeeding is related to several positive developmental outcomes, such as brain development, improved performance in intelligence tests, and language and motor development . Furthermore, breastfeeding is negatively associated with behavioral and mental health problems . Breastfeeding has also many health benefits for the mother .…”

“…7,8 Furthermore, breastfeeding is negatively associated with behavioral and mental health problems. [9][10][11][12] Breastfeeding has also many health benefits for the mother. 13 Despite those benefits, the rate of exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months is low throughout America and in European countries, even in those with high initiation rates.…”

Is there an association between depression and periodontitis? A birth cohort study

“…These individuals have been followed in several occasions during lifetime. More details can be found elsewhere (Horta et al, 2015;Loret De Mola et al, 2016).…”

“…In 2012, when individuals were aged 30, psychological interviews using the Mini-international psychiatric interview (MINI) V5.0 validated for Brazilian Portuguese (Amorim, 2000) of the past 2 weeks, and it was used to evaluate the intensity of depressive symptoms. BDI-II scores were classified as: minimal/no depression: 0-13 points, mild depression: 14-19, moderate/severe: 20-63 (Beck, Steer, & Gk, 1996;Loret De Mola et al, 2016). For analytical purposes, the variable was dichotomized into: absence of depressive symptoms (reference category) versus presence of depressive symptoms (mild, moderate or severe).…”

Inserção de um grupo virtual na rede social de apoio ao aleitamento materno exclusivo de mulheres após a alta hospitalar

“…Os benefícios do aleitamento materno para a saúde materno-infantil são amplamente reconhecidos na literatura, contribuindo de forma significativa na redução da taxa de mortalidade infantil [1][2][3] . Do ponto de vista psicossocial, essa prática também é essencial para o fortalecimento do vínculo entre a mãe e o filho 4 . A Organização Mundial de Saúde (OMS) recomenda o aleitamento materno exclusivo (AME) até os seis primeiros meses da criança, complementado até o segundo ano de vida ou mais 5 .…”