Pregnancy-specific anxiety may impact how long a woman exclusively breastfeeds her child

From www.mcgill.ca

Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended by the World Health Organization for the first six months of life because of the benefits for both mom and baby. In Canada, approximately 32% of women meet this recommendation.

Although breast milk is a natural first food for babies, breastfeeding is also a learned health behavior that is influenced by many physical, social, and psychological factors. McGill University researchers Kristin Horsley, Tuong-Vi Nguyen, Blaine Ditto, and Deborah Da Costa from the Departments of Psychology and Medicine examined whether pregnancy-specific anxiety – worries or concerns related specifically to pregnancy and post-partum – might play a role in how long a woman exclusively breastfeeds her child.

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