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The relationship between breast feeding persistence, sexuality and mood in postpartum women

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Elizabeth Alder  and
John Bancroft
Elizabeth Alder
Affiliation:
MRC Reproductive Biology Unit, Centre for Reproductive Biology, Edinburgh
John Bancroft*
Affiliation:
MRC Reproductive Biology Unit, Centre for Reproductive Biology, Edinburgh
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr John Bancroft, MRC Reproductive Biology Unit, 37, Chalmers Street, Edinburgh EH3 9EW.
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Synopsis

91 women were assessed early in pregnancy and again 3 and 6 months postpartum. Women who persisted in breastfeeding were less neurotic on the EPI but did not differ from artificial feeders in psychiatric history or sexuality before pregnancy. Breast feeders showed greater impairment of sexuality and slightly more depression at 3 months postpartum. These differences had largely disappeared at 6 months. Possible reasons for these negative effects of breast feeding are discussed and are likely to be multifactorial.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 18 , Issue 2 , May 1988 , pp. 389 - 396
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1988

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