Breastfeeding practices in a cohort of inner-city women: the role of contraindications

BMC Public Health

Table 4 Most frequently reported reasons for breastfeeding discontinuation by duration of breastfeeding among women who initiated breastfeeding (N = 181)*

	< 2 weeks (n = 41)		2 weeks-2 months (n = 59)		2–4 months (n = 56)		> 4 months (n = 25)
Reason†	N	%‡	N	%‡	N	%‡	N	%‡
Nipple/breast problems	13	32%	11	19%	6	11%	0	0%
Insufficient milk	5	12%	15	25%	15	27%	6	24%
Schedule difficult	2	5%	10	17%	9	16%	8	32%
Baby refused	7	17%	15	25%	17	30%	4	16%
Did not want to	7	17%	2	3%	0	0%	3	12%
Other	10	24%	10	17%	12	21%	6	24%

*A total of 201 women breastfeed, but the reason for discontinuation was missing for 3 women and unknown for 17 women still breastfeeding at the end of the study. †Reasons infrequently reported in all groups were "I (mother) was ill/weak," "baby was ill/weak," "I didn't want to pass dangerous things through breastmilk," and "I was never taught or didn't know how." ‡Percentages may exceed 100% because some women listed multiple reasons for not breastfeeding and because of rounding.

ISSN: 1471-2458