 Mediation models linking breastfeeding, postpartum depression, and child behaviour. Credit: BMC Public Health MILC members published "Examining psychosocial pathways to explain the link between breastfeeding practices and child behavior in a longitudinal cohort" in BMC Public Health. The study found that multiple breastfeeding metrics (eg. expressed breastmilk feeding, exclusive breastfeeding and longer duration of breastfeeding) were related to less postpartum depression and better parent child relationships, which in turn were linked with fewer child behaviour problems. When looking at all the data together, both postpartum depression and the parent-child relationship helped to explain (mediate) the link between breastfeeding and child behaviour. These findings suggest that efforts to support breastfeeding in any form (including expressed breast milk feeding), supporting parental mental health, and encouraging strong parent-child relationships could all have positive effects on child behavioural development. The study was led by MILC PhD candidate Sarah Turner together with MILC co-director, Dr. Meghan Azad. Read the full article here [PDF] and check out Sarah's [Tweetorial] on X.
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