the association between prepregnancy body mass index and breastfeeding duration in iranian women

Background: theworld health organization has recommended exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months. breastfeeding success may be influenced by different factors. objectives: the aim of this study was to determine the association between prepregnancy body mass index (bmi) and breastfeeding duration in iranian mothers. methods: this prospective cohort study was conducted at arash women’s hospital in tehran, iran. the analysis included 593 women, followed from pregnancy until 6 months postpartum. a logistic regression model was used to determine the association between prepregnancy bmi and exclusive breastfeeding duration and initiation. results: women with prepregnancy bmi above 25 kg/m² had a higher risk (almost twice) of not initiating breastfeeding or breastfeeding for less than 1 month after delivery, compared to pregnant women who had a normal weight. in this study, adjustments were made for confounding factors, such as age, education level, mode of delivery, mother’s opinion of breastfeeding, and mother’s occupation. conclusions: this study showed that women who had a normal prepregnancy weight were more likely to continue breastfeeding for 6 months, while obese and overweight women had a shorter duration of breastfeeding in comparison with normal-weight women.